' 


•  • 

• 

- 


LIBRARY 

UNlVERs^Y  OF 


SAN  DIEGO 


&fc 

*Y$ 


«•  Hia  queue  took  a  '  round  turn '  over  the  lift,  and  stuck  fast."— p.25. 


JACK  IN  THE  FORECASTLE; 


INCIDENTS   IN    THE   EARLY   LIFE 


HAWSER  MARTINGALE. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 
TALES    OF    THE    OCEAN."    "SALT-WATER    BUBBLES,"  ETC. 


"  A  SAILOR  is  a  live  book  of  travels.    Check  your  own  vanity,  if  yon  possibly  can, 
and  set  him  talking ;  you  shall  find  him  full  of  profitable  matter." 

CHARLES  READE. 


BOSTON: 
CROSBY,  NICHOLS,  LEE  AND   COMPANY, 

117  WASHINGTON  STREET. 

I860. 


Kim-red,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  I860,  by 

CilOc'BV,  NICHOLS,  LEE  &  CO., 
lu  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELEOTROTTPFP  AT  THE 
BOSTON  HTEREoTYPE  FOUNDRY. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  book  contains  a  plain  and  faithful  account  of  the 
cruises,  rambles,  and  adventures  of  the  writer  during 
eight  years  of  his  early  life  —  between  the  years  1809  and 
1817.  It  may  not  contain  much  which  is  extraordinary 
or  exciting ;  but  the  pictures  it  furnishes  of  "  life  at  sea," 
the  illustrations  it  gives  of  the  character  of  the  sailor,  the 
temptations  by  which  he  is  surrounded,  and  the  moral  as 
well  as  physical  dangers  which  beset  him  on  every  side, 
have  at  least  the  merit  —  I  had  almost  said  the  novelty  — 
of  truth. 

JOHN  S.  SLEEPER. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAOK 

1.  INCONVENIENCE  OF  A  QUEUE  AT  SEA, 25 

2.  DUEL  BETWEEN  TWO  SPANIARDS, 83 

3.  A  BOAT-CHASE  IN  BOSTON  HARBOR, 152 

4.  MRS.  JOHNSON  IDENTIFYING  THE  BREASTPIN, 191 

5.  CATCHING  A  TURTLE  AT  SEA, 203 

«.  DISTURBING  A  COLONY  OF  BATS, 320 

7.  ATTACK  ON  THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG  PRIVATEER,  .  .397 

8.  HAWSER  PRACTISING  GYMNASTICS, 429 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Phe  Author's  Ancestors.  —  Early  Education  and  Nautical  Tastes.  —  Thrown 
a  Waif  upon  the  Waters.  —  An  Opportunity  to  go  to  Sea.  —  A  Kinsman's 
Kindness.  —  Brig  Dolphin,  of  Portsmouth.  —  "  My  Native  Land,  Good 
Night." Page  9 


CHAPTER    II. 

A  Deck-load  in  Olden  Times.  —  Cabin  Accommodations.  —  Calling  the  Watch. 
—  Seasickness  and  the  Blues.  —  A  Squall  at  Sea.  —  Old  Man-of-War's-Men. — 
Serving  out  Grog.  —  Serving  up  Dinner.  —  Queues.  —  A  Cabin  Boy's  Duties 
and  Recreations.  ,  .  17 


CHAPTER    III. 

Porpoises.  —  Sail,  ho  !  —  A  British  Man-of-War.  —  How  to  man  the  Wooden 
Walls  of  Old  England. —  The  Doldrums.  —  Food  for  Curiosity.  —  Catching 
a  Shark. —  Pilot-fish.  — A  Sad  Incident 31 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Excuse  for  steering  wildly.  —  The  Trade  Winds.  —  Keep  well  to  Windward.— 
Hats  off.  —  Ocean  Novelties.  —  Land,  ho  !  —  A  Sea  Serpent  on  the  Quarter- 
deck. —  A  Demarara  Pilot.  —  Market  Day  on  Sunday.  —  Sailors  on  Shore.  — 
A  Row  on  Shipboard.  —  A  Stand-up  Fight 47 


CHAPTER    V. 

Captain  Shackford's  Lone  Voyage.  —  Stowing  Molasses.  —  A  Tragedy.  — 
Hoisting  a  Pennant.  —  An  Escape  from  a  Man-of-War.  —  Homeward  bound. 
—  The  Gulf  Stream.  —  A  Gale  of  Wind  and  a  Leaky  Ship.  —  Arrival  at 
Charleston Cl 

(3) 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Fall  in  with  a  Land-shark.  —  A  Tempting  Offer.  —  A  Midnight  Assassination. 
—  Sailors  in  Limbo.  —  Bound  for  Cayenne.  —  An  Unseasonable  Nap.  — 
Adrift  on  the  Waters.  —  A  Valuable  Admonition Page  60 


CHAPTER    VII. 

A  Leaky  Vessel.  —  The  Mystery  explained.  —  An  Unthankful  Service.  — 
Arrival  at  St.  Pierre.  —  How  to  make  Lumber  hold  out.  —  Unsuccessful 
Smuggling.  — Combat  between  two  Spaniards.  —  Sailors  on  board  the  John. 
—  Exchange  of  Vessels.  —  Sail  for  St.  Bartholomew 76 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

"  Right  of  Search  "  exemplified.  —  Sailing  among  the  Windward  Islands.  — 
Suggestion  to  Pleasure-seekers.  —  Island  of  St.  Bartholomew.  —  A  Ship  in 
a  Hurry  to  leave  Port.  —  French  Privateer  Superior.  —  Meet  with  Captain 
Tilton.  —  Shipwreck  of  the  Edwin 87 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Wretched  Fare.  —  Island  of  Sombrero.  —  Landing  without  Ceremony.  —  Inci- 
dent in  the  English  Channel.  —  Peculiarities  of  the  Gulf  Stream.  —  Chased 
by  a  Water  Spout.  —  Frightened  by  a  "  Corpus  Santo."  —  Arrival  at 
Savannah.  —  Seizure  of  the  Schooner 99 


CHAPTER    X. 

Enjoying  a  Hearty  Meal.  —  Stripping  a  Schooner.  —  A  Duel.  —  How  to  swell 
an  Account.  —  A  Lesson  in  Morals.  —  Thoughts  of  Home.  —  Embark  in  the 
Lydia,  of  Barnstable.  —  Rough  Quarters.  —  Fourth  of  July  in  Hyannis. — 
Barnabas  Bates.  —  Fever  and  Ague.  —  Arrival  at  Boston 109 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Join  Brig  Clarissa,  of  Salem.  —  An  Old-fashioned  Forecastle.  —  A  Storm  on 
the  Coast.  —  Frost-bitten.  —  Catching  Dolphin.  —  All  Hands  at  Work.  —  A 
Sailor's  Religion.  —  Sleeping  in  the  Watch 119 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Crossing  the  Line.  —  Description  of  Keel-hauling.  —  Value  of  a  Nose.  —  Tur- 
keys or  Turkey  Buzzards? — St.  Louis  de  Maranham — A  Tintinnabulary 
Clatter.  —  Civility  to  Foreigners.  —  Adventure  in  the  River.  —  Para.  —  A 
Bed  of  Mosquitoes.  —  Monkeys.  —  The  Comet  of  1811 130 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  "  North-west  Coast."  —  Ship  Packet,  of  Boston.  —  Bound  for  Liverpool. — 
A  Boat  Chase.  —  Seasick  at  the  Mast-head.  —  Unsuccessful  Experiments. 
A  Knock-down.  —  Petty  Malignity. —  Arrival  in  the  Mersey. .  .  .  Page  145 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Liverpool  Docks  in  1811. —  Press-gangs. —  Preparations  for  Sea. —  A  Frac- 
tured Limb.  —  Liverpool  Infirmary.  —  Gruffness  of  the  Porter.  —  Inmates  of 
my  Apartment.  —  Rations.  —  A  Mournful  Scene.  —  Frightened  at  Shadows. 
—  Food  at  a  Premium .  162 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Once  more  erect.  —  Original  Characters.  —  Sources  of  Amusement.  —  A  Race 
on  Crutches.  —  Practical  Lessons  in  Surgery.  —  Discharged  from  the  Hos- 
pital.—A  Cool  Reception.  —  An  Empty  Chest.— Seek  the  American  Con- 
sul. —  Find  his  Deputy 171 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Lingering  in  Liverpool.  —  Limping  through  the  Streets.  —  Consuls  abroad.  — 
Ship  Lady  Madison,  of  New  York.  —  Unreasonable  Prejudices.  —  An  Old 
Friend.  —  Ice  Islands.  —  Arrival  in  New  York 179 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Intense  Excitement. — An  Embargo  expected. — A  Forlorn  Condition. — 
Rebuff  from  an  Old  Acquaintance.  —  Find  a  Prize.  —  Swindled  out  of  it.  — 
Look  for  Work  on  Long  Island.  —  Interview  with  Captain  Thompson.  — 
Join  the  Schooner  Mary 186 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

We  pass  Sandy  Hook.  —  The  Mate  lost  overboard.  —  Make  myself  useful.  — 
Cochran's  Pamphlet  on  the  End  of  the  World.  —  How  to  catch  a  Turtle.  — 
Ocracoke  Inlet.  —  Inhabitants  of  that  Region.  —  Epicurean  Indulgences — 
Effects  of  Cochran's  Prediction.  —  Arrival  at  Newbern 197 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Excitement  in  Newbern.  —  Reading  to  a  Select  Audience.  —  A  Trip  to  Balti- 
more. —  Visit  a  Kinsman.  —  An  Old  Sailor's  Advice.  —  Return  to  Newbern. 
—  Cochrau's  Prediction  a  Humbug.  —  A  Reaction.  —  Proof  of  the  Sincerity 

of  Cochran 208 

1* 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XX. 

A  Trip  to  New  York.  — War  declared.  — Tarring  and  Feathering.  —  A  Fight- 
ing Spirit.  —  Yankee  Privateers.  —  Refused  my  Discharge. — A  Thunder 
Squall  off  Cape  Henry.— Transferred  to  the  Young  Pilot.  — Hey,  for  the 
Spanish  Main  I Page  217 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Officers  of  the  Young  Pilot.  —  Reflections.  —  Find*  myself  Cook  and  All 
Hands.  —  Sleeping  at  the  Helm.  —  Chased  by  a  Seventy-Four.  —  Fall  in 
with  a  Patriot  Privateer.  —  Mr.  Campbell  looks  out  for  "Number  One."  — 
A  Fair  Exchange  no  Robbery.  —  Pulling  for  Life.  —  Luminous  Appearance 
of  the  Ocean 227 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

The  Mona  Passage.  —  The  Rocas. —  Beating  to  Windward. —  Running  down 
the  Coast.  —  A  Guarda  Costa.  —  Caught  in  a  Trap.  —  A  Felucca  Privateer.  — 
A  False  Alarm.  —  Ill-timed  Courage.  —  Arrival  at  Porto  Cabello. —  Poor  Mr. 
Campbell! 238 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Join  an  American  Ship.  —  Discipline  on  board.  —  Frederick  Strictland.  — 
Sick  almost  unto  Death.  —  Saved  by  the  Supercargo.  —  A  Schooner  with 
French  Emigrants.  —  British  Frigate  Hermione. —  Sail  for  St.  Bartholomew. 

—  Vive  la  Bagatelle.  —  Boarded  by  a  Sloop-of-War.  —  Arrival  in  St.  Barthol- 
omew  248 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Hard  Times  for  Sailors.  —  Making  the  most  of  a  few  Dollars.  —  Roughing  it 
on  Shore.  —  Kidnapping  by  Wholesale.  —  News  of  the  Surrender  of  Detroit. 

—  A  Privateer  blown  up.  —  A  Hurricane  in  the  Harbor 360 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

A  Sloop  in  Jeopardy.  —  Is  saved  from  Destruction.  —  Ingratitude  and  Ras- 
cality.—  Stripped  to  a  Gnntline.  —  The  Lapwing,  of  St.  Bartholomew. — 
Island  of  Saba  and  its  People.  —  Logic  of  Expediency.  —  Take  "  a  Purser's 
Name."  — Become  a  Creole 273 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Sail  for  Grenada.  —  Discussion  with  the  Supercargo.  —  Town  of  Rosseau.  — . 
News  of  the  Capture  of  the  Guerriere.  —  A  Night  in  an  Open  Boat.  — Caribs 
of  St.  Vincent.  —  The  Volcano.  —  The  Grenadines.  —  Dutch  Courage.  — 
Boarded  by  the  Ringdove.  —  Harbor  of  St.  George.  —  An  Awkward  Pre- 
dicament—  Lies  by  Wholesale 233 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

Resume  my  Name  and  Nation.  —  Nail  to  the'Mast  the  Flag  of  Truth.  —  Inter- 
view with  the  Owner  of  the  Lapwing.  —  Decide  to  remain  in  Grenada.  — 
Journey  across  the  Mountains. —  Tropical  Scenery.  —  The  "Grand  Etang." 
—  Sugar  Plantations. —  Treatment  and  Condition  of  the  Slaves.  .  .  Page  300 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

The  Upper  Pearl  Estate. — My  Reception.  —  Unpleasant  Intelligence.  —  In  a 
fair  Way  of  becoming  an  M.  D.  —  Character  and  Social  Condition  of  the 
Planters.  —  Rambles  in  the  Mountains.  —  A  Glimpse  at  Natural  History.  — 
Paid  for  Peeping.  —A  Noble  Tree.  —  The  African  Black  Ant.  —  Good  Effects 
of  a  Hurricane 314 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

The  Caribs  and  the  French.  —  A  War  of  Extermination.  —  Insurrection  of 
the  Blacks  in  1795.  —  Massacre  of  the  Whites.  —  General  Fedon.  —  Mount 
Quaqua.  —  The  Insurrection  suppressed.  —  Jack  Shadow.  —  His  Mountain 
Home.  —  Betrayed  by  his  Wife.  — His  Fate 324 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

A  Bloodless  Duel.  —  Prostrated  by  Fever.  —  Removed  to  Bel- Air.  —  Find 
myself  in  Debt.  —  A  Good  Resolution.  —  Hold  an  Office.  —  The  Hermitage 
Estate.  —  Capture  of  the  Corunna.  —  Trouble  among  the  Slaves.  —  Inter- 
view with  Governor  Riall.  —  Pay  off  my  Debts,  and  prepare  to  quit 
Grenada 334 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

Embark  for  Martinico.  —  A  Fighting  Frenchman.  —  Touch  at  St.  Lucia.  — 
Effects  of  a  Hurricane  at  St.  Pierre.  —  Yellow  Fever  among  the  French 
Emigrants.  —  Captain  Parker  and  his  Projects.  —  Take  Passage  in  Brig 
Betsy,  of  New  Orleans.  —  Yellow  Fever  on  board.  —  Deaths  at  Sea. — A 
Norther.  —  Arrival  at  New  Orleans 352 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

Gratitude  of  Captain  Ricker.  —  Noble  Conduct  of  a  Commercial  Agent.  — 
Morals  of  New  Orleans  in  1817.  — Disturbances  on  the  Levee.  —  A  Wooden- 
legged  Victory.  —  A  Rough-and-tumble  Fight.  —  A  Duel  with  Small 
Swords 367 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

Captain  Ricker  deposed.  —  Join  the  Brig  Casket.  —  A  Wide-awake  Captain.  — 
A  Narrow  Escape.  —  Hydropathic  Treatment.  —  Saturday  Night  at  Sea. — 
A  Sailor's  Devotion  to  Woman.  —  Songs  of  the  Forecastle.  —  Pursuit  of 
Knowledge  under  Difficulties.  —  A  Martyr  to  Cleanliness.  —  Arrival  at 
Havre.  .  375 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

The  Lie  given  and  resented.  —  The  Scilly  Isles.  —  Arrival  at  Savannah.  — 
Cruise  after  a  Boarding  House.  —  Prejudices  against  Sailors.  —  "  My  Schools 
and  Schoolmasters."  —  Sign  of  the  General  Armstrong.  —  A  Sailor  Land- 
lord.—The  General  Armstrong  Privateer  at  Fayal.  —  A  Noxious  Atmos- 
phere.—A  Boxing  Match.— A  Butting  Match Page  389 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

Join  Brig  Joseph,  of  Boston.  —  Names  of  Vessels.  —  Sail  for  Gottenburg. — 
Death  ofthe  Second  Mate. —  Mr.  Bowen. —  Roekal.  —  Natives  of  Fair  Isle. — 
Gar-fish.  —  Arrive  at  the  Outer  Harbor  of  Gottenburg.  —  Ordered  into  Quar- 
antine  405 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

Absurdity  of  the  Quarantine  System.  —  Port  of  Gottenburg.  —  Receive  a  Pris- 
oner on  board. —  Schooner  Plattsburg,  of  Baltimore.  —  Mutiny  and  Murder. 
.  —  Arrest  of  the  Criminals 415 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

Leave  Gottenburg  for  Boston. —  Superstition  in  the  Cabin. —  Miles  Petersen 
the  Mutineer.  —  Execution  on  Boston  Neck.  —  A  Feat  on  the  Slack  Rope.  — 
Castles  in  the  Air.  —  Bank  of  Newfoundland.  —  The  Bank  Fishermen  in 
Olden  Times. —  Unsuccessful  Cruise  of  Uncle  Jonas.  —  Fog  Banks.  —  Excite- 
ment on  making  the  Land.  —  Return  to  the  Home  of  my  Childhood.  ...  426 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

The  Sea  :  its  Immensity  ;  its  Configuration  ;  its  Depth  ;  its  Beauty ;  its 
Dangers.  —  The  Sailor  :  his  Failings  ;  his  Virtues.  —  An  Appeal  in  his 
Behalf. 436 


JACK  IN  THE  FORECASTLE; 

OR, 

INCIDENTS  IN  THE  EARLY  LIFE  OF  HAWSER 
MARTINGALE. 


CHAPTER    I. 

FAREWELL     TO     NEW    ENGLAND. 

I  WAS  born  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  in 
a  village  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Merri- 
mack,  in  Massachusetts.  For  the  satisfaction  of  the  curi- 
ous, and  the  edification  of  the  genealogist,  I  will  state 
that  my  ancestors  came  to  this  country  from  England  in 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Why  they  left 
their  native  land  to  seek  an  asylum  on  this  distant  shore 
— whether  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  adventure,  or  with  a 
view  to  avoid  persecution  for  religion's  sake  — is  now  un- 
known. Even  if  they  "  left  their  country  for  their  coun- 
try's good,"  they  were  undoubtedly  as  respectable,  honest, 
and  noble,  as  the  major  part  of  those  needy  ruffians  who 
accompanied  William  the  Conqueror  from  Normandy  in 
his  successful  attempt  to  seize  the  British  crown,  and 
whose  descendants  now  boast  of  their  noble  ancestry,  and 
proudly  claim  a  seat  in  the  British  House  of  Peers. 

From  my  earliest  years  I  manifested  a  strong  attach- 
ment to  reading;  and  as  matters  relating  to  ships  and 
sailors  captivated  my  boyish  fancy,  and  exerted  a  magic 


10  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

influence  on  my  mind,  the  "Adventures  of  Robinson 
Crusoe,"  "Peter  Wilkins,"  "Philip  Quarle,"  and  vagabonds 
of  a  similar  character,  were  my  favorite  books.  An  indul- 
gence in  this  taste,  and  perhaps  an  innate  disposition  to 
lead  a  wandering,  adventurous  life,  kindled  in  my  bosom 
a  strong  desire,  which  soon  became  a  fixed  resolution,  to 
go  to  sea.  Indeed,  this  wish  to  go  abroad,  to  encounter 
dangers  on  the  mighty  deep,  to  visit  foreign  countries  and 
climes,  to  face  shipwrecks  and  disasters,  became  a  passion. 
It  was  my  favorite  theme  of  talk  by  day,  and  the  subject 
of  my  dreams  by  night.  As  I  increased  in  years  my  long- 
ing for  a  sailor's  life  also  increased ;  and  whenever  my 
schoolfellows  and  myself  were  conversing  about  the 
occupations  we  should  select  as  the  means  of  gaining 
a  livelihood  hereafter,  I  invariably  said,  UI  will  be  a 
sailor." 

Had  my  parents  lived,  it  is  possible  that  this  deep-seated 
inclination  might  have  been  thwarted;  that  my  destiny 
might  have  taken  another  shape.  But  my  father  died 
while  I  was  quite  young,  and  my  mother  survived  him 
but  a  few  years.  She  lived  long  enough,  however,  to  con- 
vince me  that  there  is  nothing  more  pure,  disinterested, 
and  enduring  than  a  mother's  love,  and  that  those  who 
are  deprived  of  this  blessing  meet  at  the  outset  of  their 
pilgrimage  a  misfortune  which  can  never  be  remedied. 
Thus,  before  I  had  numbered  fifteen  years,  I  found  myself 
thrown  a  waif  on  the  waters  of  life,  free  to  follow  the 
bent  of  my  inclination  to  become  a  sailor. 

Fortune  favored  my  wishes.  Soon  after  the  death  of 
my  parents,  a  relation  of  my  mother  was  fitting  out  a 
vessel  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  for  a  voyage  to  Demarara;  and 
those  who  felt  an  interest  in  my  welfare,  conceiving  this 
a  good  opportunity  for  me  to  commence  my  salt-water 
career,  acceded  to  my  wishes,  and  prevailed  on  my  rela- 
tive, against  his  inclination,  to  take  me  with  him  as  a 
cabin  boy. 


FAREWELL    TO    NEW    ENGLAND.  11 

With  emotions  of  delight  I  turned  my  back  on  the 
home  of  my  childhood,  and  gayly  started  off  to  seek  my 
fortune  in  the  world,  with  no  other  foundation  to  build 
upon  than  a  slender  frame,  an  imperfect  education,  a  vivid 
imagination,  ever  picturing  charming  castles  in  the  air, 
and  a  goodly  share  of  quiet  energy  and  perseverance, 
modified  by  an  excess  of  diffidence,  which  to  this  day  I 
have  never  been  able  to  overcome. 

I  had  already  found  in  a  taste  for  reading  a  valuable 
and  never-failing  source  of  information  and  amusement. 
This  attachment  to  books  has  attended  me  through  life, 
and  been  a  comfort  and  solace  in  difficulties,  perplexities, 
and  perils.  My  parents,  also,  early  ingrafted  on  my  mind 
strict  moral  principles ;  taught  me  to  distinguish  between 
right  and  wrong ;  to  cherish  a  love  of  truth,  and  even  a 
chivalric  sense  of  honor  and  honesty.  To  this,  perhaps, 
more  than  to  any  other  circumstance,  may  be  attributed 
whatever  success  and  respectability  has  attended  my 
career  through  life.  It  has  enabled  me  to  resist  temp- 
tations to  evil  with  which  I  was  often  surrounded,  and  to 
grapple  with  and  triumph  over  obstacles  that  might  other- 
wise have  overwhelmed  me. 

When  I  reached  Portsmouth,  my  kinsman,  Captain 
Tilton,  gave  me  an  ungracious  reception.  He  rebuked 
me  severely  for  expressing  a  determination  to  go  to 
sea. 

"  Go  to  sea ! "  he  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  the  most  sov- 
ereign contempt.  "Ridiculous!  You  are  a  noodle  for 
thinking  of  such  a  thing.  A  sailor's  life  is  a  dog's  life  at 
best !  Besides,  you  are  not  fit  for  a  sailor,  either  by  hab- 
its, taste,  or  constitution.  With  such  a  pale  face,  and 
slight  figure,  and  sheepish  look,  how  can  you  expect  to 
fight  the  battle  of  life  on  the  ocean,  and  endure  all  the 
crosses,  the  perils,  and  the  rough-and-tumble  of  a  sailor's 
life?  Hawser,  you  are  not  fit  for  a  sailor.  You  had 
much  better  go  home  and  try  something  else." 


12  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Finding  me  unconvinced  by  his  arguments,  and  unsha- 
ken in  ray  determination,  he  concluded  his  remarks  by 
asking  me  abruptly  the  startling  question,  "  Are  you  ready 
to  die?" 

I  replied,  that  I  had  not  bestowed  much  thought  on  the 
subject;  but  frankly  admitted  I  was  not  altogether  pre- 
pared for  such  a  solemn  event. 

"Then,  Hawser,"  said  he  with  marked  emphasis,  "if  you 

are  not  prepared  to  die  —  to  die  of  yellow  fevei don't 

go  to  Demarara  at  this  season  of  the  year!"  And  he 
left  the  room  abrubtly,  apparently  disgusted  at  my  obsti- 
nacy. 

On  the  following  day,  Captain  Tilton  took  me  on  board 
the  brig  Dolphin.  I  did  not  mark  her  imperfections,  which 
were  many.  She  was  a  vessel,  bound  on  a  voyage  to  a 
foreign  port,  and,  therefore,  I  was  charmed  with  her  ap- 
pearance. In  my  eyes  she  was  a  model  of  excellence ;  as 
beautiful  and  graceful  as  the  celebrated  barge  in  which 
Cleopatra  descended  the  Cydnus  to  meet  Mark  Antony. 

The  captain  led  me  to  the  mate,  who  was  busily  en- 
gaged about  the  decks.  "Mr.  Thompson,"  said  he,  "here 
is  a  lad  who  wants  to  go  to  sea,  and  I  have  foolishly 
engaged  to  take  him  as  a  cabin  boy.  Keep  him  on  board 
the  brig;  look  sharp  after  him;  don't  let  him  have  an 
idle  moment ;  and,  if  possible,  make  him  useful  in  some 
way  until  the  vessel  is  ready  for  sea." 

Mr.  William  Thompson  was  a  worthy  man,  who  subse- 
quently became  a  shipmaster  and  merchant  of  great 
respectability  in  Portsmouth.  He  treated  me  with  con- 
sideration and  kindness,  and  took  pleasure  in  teach- 
ing me  the  details  of  the  business  I  was  about  to  under- 
take. 

During  the  few  days  in  which  the  Dolphin  lay  at  the 
wharf  I  gained  much  nautical  information.  I  learned  the 
names  of  the  different  parts  of  a  vessel ;  of  the  different 
masts,  and  some  portions  of  the  rigging.  But  the  great 


FAKEWEI.I.    TO    XEW    ENGLAND.  13 

number  of  ropes  excited  my  admiration.  I  thought  a  life- 
time would  hardly  suftk-e  to  learn  their  different  names 
and  purposes.  I  accomplished  successfully  the  feat  of 
going  aloft;  and  one  memorable  day,  assisted  the  riggers 
in  "bending  sails,"  and  received  an  ill-natured  rebuke 
from  a  crusty  old  tar,  for  my  stupidity  in  failing  to  under- 
stand him  when  he  told  me  to  "pass  the  gasket"  while 
furling  the  fore-topsail.  Instead  of  passing  the  gasket 
around  the  yard,  I  gravely  handed  him  a  marlinspike ! 

In  the  course  of  my  desultory  reading,  I  had  learned 
that  vessels  at  sea  were  liable  to  "  spring  a  leak,"  which 
was  one  of  the  most  dreaded  perils  of  navigation ;  and  I 
had  a  vague  notion  that  the  hold  of  a  ship  was  always  so 
arranged  that  a  leak  could  be  discovered  and  stopped.  I 
was,  therefore,  not  a  little  puzzled  when  I  found  the  hold 
of  the  Dolphin  was  crammed  with  lumber ;  not  a  space 
having  been  left  large  enough  to  stow  away  the  ghost  of 
a  belaying  pin.  Finding  the  captain  in  a  pleasant  mood 
one  day,  I  ventured  to  ask  him  what  would  be  the  conse- 
quence if  the  brig  should  spring  a  leak  in  her  bottom. 

"  Spring  a  leak  in  her  bottom  ! "  he  replied,  in  his  gruff 
manner ;  "  why,  we  should  go  to  the  bottom,  of  course ! " 

The  brig  was  now  ready  for  sea.  The  sailors  were 
shipped,  and  I  watched  them  closely  as  they  came  on 
board,  expecting  to  find  the  noble-looking,  generous- 
spirited  tars  I  had  become  so  familiar  with  in  books.  It 
happened,  however,  that  three  out  of  the  five  seamen 
who  composed  the  crew  were  "  old  English  men-of-war's- 
men,"  and  had  long  since  lost  any  refinement  of  character 
or  rectitude  of  principle  they  originally  possessed.  They 
were  brought  on  board  drunk  by  the  landlord  with  whom 
they  boarded;  for  the  "old  tars"  of  those  days — fifty  years 
ago — had  no  homes;  when  on  shore  all  they  cared  for  was 
a  roof  to  shelter  them,  and  plenty  of  grog,  in  which  they 
would  indulge  until  their  money  was  gone,  when  they 
would  go  to  sea  and  get  more. 

2 


14  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

Now  ensued  the  bustle  incident  to  such  occasions. 
Captain  William  Boyd,  who  had  volunteered  to  pilot  the 
brig  down  the  harbor,  came  on  board;  the  sails  were 
hoisted ;  the  deck  was  crowded  with  persons  to  take  leave 
of  their  friends,  or  gratify  a  morbid  curiosity;  and  what 
with  the  numerous  questions  asked,  the  running  to  and 
fro,  the  peremptory  commands  of  the  mate,  the  unmusi- 
cal singing  and  shouting  of  the  crew  as  they  executed  the 
various  orders,  together  with  the  bawling  of  the  hand- 
cartmen  and  truckmen  as  they  brought  down  the  last  of 
the  trunks,  chests,  stores,  and  provisions,  my  brain  was  in 
a  whirl  of  excitement ;  I  hardly  knew  whether  I  stood  on 
my  head  or  my  heels. 

At  last  the  captain  came  down  the  wharf,  accompanied 
by  Joshua  Haven,  one  of  the  owners,  and  some  friends, 
who  had  made  arrangements  to  proceed  in  the  brig  so  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  The  single  rope  which  con- 
nected the  Dolphin  with  the  shore  was  cast  loose;  the 
pilot  gave  some  orders,  that  were  Greek  to  me,  in  a  loud 
and  energetic  tone;  the  men  on  the  wharf  gave  three 
cheers,  which  were  heartily  responded  to  by  the  tempo- 
rary passengers  and  crew ;  and  with  a  pleasant  breeze  from 
the  westward,  we  sailed  merrily  down  the  river. 

Some  few  persons  lingered  on  the  wharf,  and  continued 
for  a  time  to  wave  their  handkerchiefs  in  token  of  an 
affectionate  farewell  to  their  friends.  I  seemed  to  stand 
alone  while  these  interesting  scenes  were  enacted.  I  took 
no  part  in  the  warm  greetings  or  the  tender  adieus.  I  had 
bidden  farewell  to  my  friends  and  relatives  in  another 
town  some  days  before ;  and  no  one  took  sufficient  inter- 
est in  my  welfare  to  travel  a  few  miles,  look  after  my 
comforts,  and  wish  me  a  pleasant  voyage  as  I  left  my 
native  land. 

Although  from  the  reception  I  had  met  with  I  had  little 
reason  to  expect  present  indulgences  or  future  favors  from 
my  kinsman  who  commanded  the  brig,  I  did  not  regret 


FAREWELL    TO    NEW    ENGLAND.  15 

the  step  I  had  taken.  On  the  contrary,  ray  bosom  bounded 
with  joy  when  the  last  rope  was  severed,  and  the  vessel 
on  whose  decks  I  proudly  stood  was  actually  leaving  the 
harbor  of  Portsmouth,  under  full  sail,  bound  to  a  foreign 
port.  This  was  no  longer  "  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision." 
The  dream  of  my  early  years  had  come  to  pass;  and  I 
looked  forward  with  all  the  confidence  of  youth  to  a  bold 
and  manly  career,  checkered  it  might  be  with  toil  and 
suffering,  but  replete  with  stirring  adventure,  whose  wild 
and  romantic  charms  would  be  cheaply  won  by  wading 
through  a  sea  of  troubles.  I  now  realized  the  feeling 
which  has  since  been  so  well  described  by  the  poet :  — 

"  A  life  on  the  ocean  wave, 

A  home  on  the  rolling  deep, 
Where  the  scattered  waters  rave, 
And  the  winds  their  revels  keep. 

"  Like  an  eagle  caged,  I  pine 

On  this  dull,  unchanging  shore  ; 
0,  give  me  the  flashing  brine, 
The  spray,  and  the  tempest's  roar." 


CHAPTER    II. 

INCIDENTS     AT      SEA. 

THE  Dolphin  was  what  is  termed,  in  nautical  par- 
lance, an  "  hermaphrodite  brig,"  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  burden ;  and  had  been  engaged,  for  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  in  the  West  India  trade.  This 
vessel  could  not  with  propriety  be  regarded  as  a  model 
of  grace  and  beauty,  but  gloried  in  bluff  bows,  a  flat 
bottom,  and  a  high  quarter-deck;  carried  a  large  cargo 
for  her  tonnage,  and  moved  heavily  and  reluctantly 
through  the  water. 


16  JACK   IX   THE    FORECASTLE. 

On  this  particular  voyage,  the  hold  of  the  brig,  as  I 
have  already  stated,  was  filled  with  lumber ;  and  thirty- 
five  thousand  feet  of  the  same  article  were  earned  on 
deck,  together  with  an  indefinite  quantity  of  staves, 
shocks,  hoop  poles,  and  other  articles  of  commerce  too 
numerous  to  mention.  On  this  enormous  deck-load  were 
constructed,  on  each  side,  a  row  of  sheep-pens,  suffi- 
ciently spacious  to  furnish  with  comfortable  quarters 
some  sixty  or  seventy  sheep;  and  on  the  pens,  ranged 
along  in  beautiful  confusion,  was  an  imposing  display 
of  hen-coops  and  turkey-coops,  the  interstices  being  in- 
geniously filled  with  bundles  of  hay  and  chunks  of  fire- 
wood. The  quarter-deck  was  "  lumbered  up "  with  hogs- 
heads of  water,  and  casks  of  oats  and  barley,  and  hen- 
coops without  number. 

With  such  a  deck-load,  not  an  unusually  large  one 
in  those  days,  the  leading  trucks  attached  to  the  fore- 
rigging  were  about  half  way  between  the  main  deck  and 
the  foretop.  It  was  a  work  of  difficulty  and  danger  to 
descend  from  the  deck-load  to  the  forecastle ;  but  to 
reach  the  foretop  required  only  a  hop,  skip,  and  a  jump. 
The  locomotive  qualities  of  this  craft,  misnamed  the 
Dolphin,  were  little  superior  to  those  of  a  well  con- 
structed raft;  and  "with  a  fresh  breeze  on  the  quarter, 
in  spite  of  the  skill  of  the  best  helmsman,  her  wake  was 
as  crooked  as  that  of  the  "wounded  snake,"  referred 
to  by  the  poet,  which  "  dragged  its  slow  length  along." 

It  was  in  the  early  part  of  July,  in  the  year  1809,  that 
the  brig  Dolphin  left  Portsmouth,  bound  on  a  voyage 
to  Dutch  Guiana,  which  at  that  time,  in  consequence  of 
the  malignant  fevers  that  prevailed  on  the  coast,  was 
not  inaptly  termed  "the  grave  of  American  seamen." 
The  crew  consisted  of  the  captain  and  mate,  five  sailors, 
a  green  hand  to  act  as  cook,  and  a  cabin  boy.  There 
was  also  a  passenger  on  board,  a  young  man  named 
Chadwick,  who  had  been  residing  in  Portsmouth,  and 


INCIDENTS   AT    SEA.  17 

was  going  to  Demarara,  in  the  hope — which  fortunately 
for  him  was  not  realized  —  of  establishing  himself  in  a 
mercantile  house. 

The  forecastle  being,  for  obvious  reasons,  untenable 
during  the  outward  passage,  these  ten  individuals,  when 
below  deck,  were  stowed  away  in  the  cabin  and  steerage, 
amid  boxes,  bales,  chests,  barrels,  and  water  casks,  in  a 
manner  somewhat  miscellaneous,  and  not  the  most  com- 
modious or  comfortable.  Indeed,  for  several  days  after 
we  left  port,  the  usual  and  almost  only  access  to  the 
cabin  was  by  the  skylight;  and  those  who  made  the 
cabin  their  home,  were  obliged  to  crawl  on  all  fours  over 
the  heterogeneous  mass  of  materials  with  which  it  was 
crowded,  in  order  to  reach  their  berths! 

The  owners  of  the  brig  must  have  calculated  largely 
on  favorable  weather  during  the  passage;  for  had  we 
experienced  a  gale  on  the  coast,  or  fallen  in  with  the 
tail-end  of  a  hurricane  in  the  tropics,  the  whole  deck-load 
would  have  been  swept  away,  and  the  lives  of  the  ship's 
company  placed  in  imminent  peril.  The  weather,  how- 
ever, proved  remarkably  mild,  and  the  many  inconven- 
iences to  which  the  crew  were  subjected  were  borne  with 
exemplary  patience,  and  sometimes  even  regarded  as  a 
capital  joke. 

We  passed  the  Whale's  Back  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Piscataqua,  and  the  Isles  of  Shoals  loomed  up  through 
the  hazy  atmosphere ;  and  although  the  wind  was  light, 
and  the  sea  apparently  smooth,  the  brig  began  to  have 
a  motion  —  an  awkward,  uneasy  motion  —  for  which  I 
could  not  account,  and  which,  to  my  great  annoyance, 
continued  to  increase  as  we  left  the  land.  I  staggered 
as  I  crossed  the  quarter-deck ,  and  soon  after  we  cleared 
the  harbor,  came  near  pitching  overboard  from  the  plat- 
form covering  the  sheep-pens.  My  head  was  strangely 
confused,  and  a  dizziness  seized  me,  which  I  in  vain 

2* 


18  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

struggled  to  shake  off.  My  spirits,  so  gay  and  buoyant 
as  we  sailed  down  the  harbor,  sunk  to  zero. 

At  length  I  could  not  resist  the  conviction  that  I  was 
assailed  with  symptoms  of  seasickness;  a  malady  which 
I  had  always  held  in  contempt,  believing  it  to  exist  more 
in  imagination  than  in  fact,  and  which  I  was  determined 
to  resist,  as  unsailor-like  and  unmanly.  Other  symptoms, 
of  a  less  equivocal  description,  soon  placed  the  character 
of  my  illness  beyond  a  doubt.  My  woe-begone  looks 
must  have  betrayed  my  feelings,  for  one  of  the  men  told 
me,  with  a  quizzical  leer,  that  old  Neptune  always  ex- 
acted toll  in  advance  from  a  green  hand  for  his  passage 
over  the  waters. 

Mr.  Thompson,  who  seemed  to  pity  my  miserable  con- 
dition, gravely  assured  me  that  exercise  was  a  capital 
thing  as  a  preventive  or  cure  for  seasickness,  and  advised 
me  to  try  the  pump.  I  followed  his  advice :  a  few 
strokes  brought  up  the  bilge  water,  than  which  nothing 
at  that  time  could  have  been  more  insufferably  nauseous ! 
I  left  the  pump  in  disgust,  and  retiring  to  the  after  part 
of  the  quarter-deck,  threw  myself  down  on  a  coil  of 
rope,  unable  longer  to  struggle  with  my  fate.  There  I 
remained  unnoticed  and  uncared  for  for  several  hours, 
when,  the  wind  having  changed,  the  rope  which  formed 
my  bed,  and  proved  to  be  the  "  main  sheet,"  was  wanted, 
and  I  was  unceremoniously  ejected  from  my  quarters, 
and  roughly  admonished  to  "  go  below  and  keep  out  of 
the  way ! "  I  crawled  into  the  cabin,  and,  stretched  on 
some  boxes,  endeavored  to  get  a  little  sleep ;  but  the 
conglomeration  of  smells  of  a  most  inodorous  character, 
which,  as  it  seemed  to  my  distempered  fancy,  pervaded 
every  part  of  the  vessel,  prevented  my  losing  a  sense  of 
suffering  in  sleep. 

As  I  lay  musing  on  the  changes  which  a  few  days 
had  wrought  in  my  condition,  and,  borne  down  by  the 
pangs  of  seasickness,  was  almost  ready  to  admit  that 


INCIDENTS    AT    SEA.  19 

there  was  prose  as  well  as  poetry  in  a  sailor's  life,  I  was 
startled  by  a  terrific  noise,  the  announcement,  I  supposed, 
of  some  appalling  danger.  I  heard  distinctly  three  loud 
knocks  on  the  deck  at  the  entrance  of  the  steerage,  and 
then  a  sailor  put  his  head  down  the  companion-way, 
and  in  a  voice  loud,  cracked,  and  discordant,  screamed 
in  a  tone  which  I  thought  must  have  split  his  jaws 
asunder,  "  LA-AR-BO-A-KD  WA-T-CH  A-H-O-O-Y." 

In  spite  of  my  sickness  I  started  from  my  uncom- 
fortable resting-place,  scrambled  into  the  steerage,  and 
by  a  roll  of  the  brig  was  tumbled  under  the  steps,  and 
suffered  additional  pains  and  apprehensions  before  I  as- 
certained that  the  unearthly  sounds  which  had  so  alarmed 
me  were  nothing  more  than  the  usual  mode  of  "  calling 
the  watch,"  or  in  other  words,  the  man  with  the  unmu- 
sical voice  had  gently  hinted  to  the  sleepers  below  that 
"  turn-about  was  fair  play,"  and  they  were  wanted  on 
deck. 

To  add  to  my  troubles,  the  wind  in  the  morning  shifted 
to  the  south-east,  and  thus  became  a  head  wind,  and  the 
old  brig  became  more  restless  than  ever,  and  pitched, 
and  rolled  to  leeward  occasionally  with  a  lurch,  per- 
forming clumsy  antics  in  the  water  which  my  imagina- 
tion never  pictured,  and  which  I  could  neither  admire 
nor  applaud. 

For  several  days  we  were  beating  about  Massachusetts 
Bay  and  St.  George's  Bank,  making  slow  progress  on 
our  voyage.  During  that  time  I  was  really  seasick,  and 
took  little  note  of  passing  events,  being  stretched 
on  the  deck,  a  coil  of  rope,  or  a  chest,  musing  on  the 
past  or  indulging  in  gloomy  reflections  in  regard  to  the 
future.  Seasickness  never  paints  ideal  objects  of  a 
roseate  hue.  Although  I  was  not  called  upon  for  much 
actual  work,  I  received  no  sympathy  for  my  miserable 
condition ;  for  seasickness,  like  the  toothache,  is  seldom 
fiital,  notwithstanding  it  is  as  distressing  a  malady  as  is 


20  JACK.   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

found  in  the  catalogue  of  diseases,  and  one  for  which 
no  preventive  or  cure,  excepting  time,  has  yet  been 
discovered.  Time  is  a  panacea  for  every  ill ;  and  after 
the  lapse  of  ten  or  twelve  days,  as  the  brig  was  drawing 
towards  the  latitude  of  Bermuda,  my  sickness  disappeared 
as  suddenly  as  it  commenced ;  and  one  pleasant  morn- 
ing I  threw  aside  my  shore  dress,  and  with  it  my  lands- 
man's habits  and  feelings.  I  donned  my  short  jacket 
and  trousers,  and  felt  every  inch  a  sailor! 

The  Bermudas  are  a  cluster  of  small  islands  and  rocks 
lying  in  the  track  of  vessels  bound  from  New  England 
to  the  West  Indies.  The  climate  is  mild,  and  the  atmos- 
phere remarkably  salubrious,  while  the  tract  of  ocean 
in  the  vicinity  has  long  been  noted  for  severe  squalls 
at  every  season  of  the  year.  A  squall  at  sea  —  no  unu- 
sual occurrence  —  is  often  the  cause  of  anxiety,  being  at- 
tended with  danger.  Sometimes  the  rush  of  wind  is 
so  violent  that  nothing  will  resist  its  fury,  and  before 
the  alarm  is  given  and  the  canvas  reduced,  the  masts 
are  blown  over  the  side  or  the  vessel  capsized.  There- 
fore, on  the  approach  of  a  squall,  a  vigilant  officer  will 
be  prepared  for  the  worst,  by  shortening  sail  and  mak- 
ing other  arrangements  for  averting  the  threatened 
danger. 

I  hardly  knew  how  it  happened,  but  one  afternoon 
when  we  were  a  little  to  the  northward  of  Bermuda, 
and  should  have  kept  a  lookout  for  squalls,  we  were 
favored  with  a  visit  from  one  of  a  most  energetic  charac- 
ter. Its  sudden  approach  from  under  the  lee  was  either 
unnoticed  or  unheeded  until  the  captain  accidentally 
came  on  deck.  He  was  instantly  aware  of  the  perilous 
condition  of  the  brig,  for  the  "white  caps"  of  the 
waves  could  be  distinctly  seen,  and  even  the  roar  of 
the  wind  could  be  heard  as  it  rushed  towards  us  over 
the  water.  Before  any  orders  could  be  executed  —  before 
the  sails  could  be  taken  in,  the  yards  braced  round,  or 


INCIDENTS   AT   SEA,  21 

even  the  helm  shifted,  the  tempest  broke  over  us.  The 
rain  fell  in  torrents,  the  wind  blew  with  tremendous 
violence,  and  a  scene  of  indescribable  confusion  en- 
sued. 

The  captain  stood  near  the  companion-way,  much 
excited,  giving  directions  with  energy  and  rapidity. 
"  Hard  up  your  helm ! "  said  he  ;  "  Hard  up  !  Lower 
away  the  mainsail!  Let  go  the  peak  halliards!  Why 
don't  you  put  the  helm  hard  up?  Let  go  all  the  hall- 
iards fore  and  aft !  Clew  down  the  fore-topsail !  Haul  in 
the  starboard  braces  !  There  —  steady  with  the  helm ! " 

The  mate  and  sailors  were  running  about  the  decks, 
looking  frightened  and  bewildered,  eagerly  casting  loose 
some  ropes,  and  pulling  desperately  upon  others;  the 
sails  were  fluttering  and  shaking,  as  if  anxious  to  quit 
the  spars  and  fly  away  to  unknown  regions;  the  brig 
felt  the  force  of  the  wind,  and  for  a  few  moments  was 
pressed  over  on  her  side  until  her  beam  ends  were  in  the 
the  water;  and  what  with  the  shouting  of  the  captain, 
the  answering  shouts  of  the  mate,  the  unearthly  cries 
of  the  sailors,  as  they  strove  to  execute  the  orders  so 
energetically  given ;  the  struggling  of  the  canvas,  the 
roaring  of  the  winds  and  the  waves,  the  creaking  of  the 
cordage,  the  beating  of  the  rain  against  the  decks,  and 
the  careening  of  the  vessel,  it  is  not  remarkable  that  I 
felt  somewhat  alarmed  and  excited,  as  well  as  deeply 
interested  in  witnessing  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  a 
squall  at  sea. 

The  squall  was  of  short  duration;  although  the  rain 
continued  for  a  time,  the  wind,  after  a  few  minutes,  gave 
but  little  inconvenience.  In  the  course  of  an  hour  the 
murky  clouds  had  disappeared,  the  sun  shone  out  brightly 
as  it  was  sinking  towards  the  horizon,  and  the  brig  was 
again  pursuing  her  way  towards  her  destined  port, 
urged  slowly  along  by  a  light  but  favorable  breeze. 
Having  got  my  sea  legs  on,  I  could  proudly  strut 


22  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

about  among  the  lumber  and  sheep-pens  without  fear 
of  rolling  overboard.  I  found  the  sailors  a  rough  but 
good-natured  set  of  fellows,  with  but  little  refinement 
in  ideas  or  language.  Although  they  amused  themselves 
with  my  awkwardness,  and  annoyed  me  with  practical 
jokes,  they  took  a  pride  and  pleasure  in  inducting  me 
into  the  mysteries  of  their  craft.  They  taught  me  the 
difference  between  a  granny  knot  and  a  square  knot ; 
how  to  whip  a  rope's  end ;  form  splices ;  braid  sinnett ; 
make  a  running  bowline,  and  do  a  variety  of  things 
peculiar  to  the  web-footed  gentry.  Some  of  them  also 
tried  hard,  by  precept  and  example,  but  in  vain,  to  in- 
duce me  to  chew  tobacco  and  drink  grog!  Indeed, 
they  regarded  the  ability  to  swallow  a  stiff  glass  of 
New  England  rum,  without  making  a  wry  face,  as  one 
of  the  most  important  qualifications  of  a  sailor ! 

The  "  old  men-of-war's-men "  had  passed  through 
strange  and  eventful  scenes ;  they  were  the  type  of  a 
class  of  men  which  have  long  since  passed  away ;  they 
could  spin  many  a  long  and  interesting  yarn,  to  which 
I  listened  with  untiring  eagerness.  But  no  trait  in  their 
character  astonished  me  more  than  their  uncontrollable 
passion  for  intoxicating  drinks.  As  cabin  boy,  it  was  my 
duty  to  serve  out  to  the  crew  a  half  pint  of  rum  a  day. 
These  old  Tritons  eagerly  looked  forward  to  the  hour 
when  this  interesting  ceremony  came  off;  their  eyes 
sparkled  as  they  received  their  allotted  portion  of  this 
enemy  to  the  human  race ;  and  they  practised  every  art 
to  procure,  by  fair  means  or  foul,  an  increased  allowance. 
If  by  accident  or  shrewd  management  one  of  them 
succeeded  in  obtaining  half  a  glass  more  than  he  was 
f  .irly  entitled  to,  his  triumph  was  complete.  But  if  he 
imagined  he  had  not  received  the  full  quantity  which 
was  his  due,  ill  humor  and  sulky  looks  for  the  next 
twenty-four  hours  bore  testimony  to  his  anger  and  dis- 
appointment. These  men  ignored  the  good  old  proverb 


INCIDENTS    AT    SEA.  23 

that  "bread  is  the  staff  of  life,"  and  at  any  time,  or 
at  all  times,  would  prefer  grog  to  bread. 

In  those  days  it  was  believed  that  ardent  spirit  would 
strengthen  the  constitution,  and  enable  a  man  to  en- 
dure hardship  and  perform  labor  to  a  greater  extent  than 
would  be  the  case  if  he  drank  nothing  stronger  than 
water.  Rum  was,  therefore,  included  among  the  ship's 
stores  as  an  important  means  of  keeping  the  ship's  com- 
pany in  good  humor,  reviving  their  spirits  and  energies 
when  overcome  with  fatigue  or  exposure,  and  strengthen- 
ing them  for  a  hard  day's  work. 

Those  days  have  passed  away.  It  is  now  known  that 
those  doctrines  were  false  ;  that  spiritous  liquors,  as  a 
drink,  never  benefit  mankind,  but  have  proved  one  of  the 
greatest  scourges  with  which  the  human  race  has  been 
afflicted.  It  is  no  longer  believed  that  grog  will  insure 
the  faithful  performance  of  a  seaman's  duty,  and  it  is 
excluded  from  our  ships,  so  far  as  the  forecastle  is  con- 
cerned ;  and  if  it  were  never  allowed  to  visit  the  cabin, 
the  crews,  in  some  cases,  would  lead  happier  lives, — 
there  would  be  fewer  instances  of  assault  and  battery, 
revolts  and  shipwrecks,  and  the  owners  and  underwriters 
would  find  the  balance  at  the  end  of  the  voyage  more 
decidedly  in  their  favor. 

Among  the  customs  on  shipboard  which  attracted  my 
particular  attention,  was  the  manner  in  which  the  sailors 
partook  of  their  meals.  There  was  no  tedious  ceremony 
or  fastidious  refinement  witnessed  on  these  occasions.  At 
twelve  o'clock  the  orders  were  promptly  given,  "  Call  the 
watch  !  Hold  the  reel !  Pump  ship  !  Get  your  dinners  ! " 
With  never-failing  alacrity  the  watch  was  called,  the  log 
thrown,  and  the  ship  pumped.  When  these  duties  were 
performed,  a  bustle  was  seen  about  the  camboose,  or  large 
cooking  stove,  in  which  the  meals  were  prepared.  In 
pleasant  weather  it  was  usual  for  the  sailors  to  take  their 
meals  on  deck ;  but  no  table  was  arranged,  no  table-cloth 


24  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

was  spread,  no  knives  and  forks  or  spoons  were  provided, 
no  plates  of  any  description  were  furnished,  or  glass  tum- 
blers or  earthen  mugs.  The  preliminary  arrangements 
were  of  the  simplest  description. 

The  signal  being  given,  the  cook  hastily  transferred 
from  his  boilers  whatever  food  he  had  prepared,  into 
a  wooden  vessel,  called  a  kid,  resembling  in  size  and 
appearance  a  peck  measure.  The  kid  with  its  contents 
was  deposited  on  the  spot  selected ;  a  bag  or  box,  con- 
taining ship's  biscuits,  was  then  produced,  —  dinner  was 
ready,  and  all  hands,  nothing  loth,  gathered  around  the 
kid  and  commenced  operations. 

The  usual  fare  was  salt  beef  and  bread,  varied  at  stated 
times  or  according  to  circumstances ;  and  this  has  prob- 
ably for  centuries  been  the  standing  dish  for  the  fore- 
castle in  English  and  American  ships.  On  this  passage, 
the  Sunday  dinner  varied  from  the  usual  routine  by  the 
addition  of  fresh  meat.  Every  Sabbath  morning  a  sheep, 
the  finest  and  fattest  of  the  flock,  was  missing  from  the 
pens.  Portions  of  the  animal,  however,  would  appear  a 
few  hours  afterwards  in  the  shape  of  a  luscious  sea-pie  for 
the  sailors,  and  in  various  inviting  shapes  during  the  fol- 
lowing week  to  the  inmates  of  the  cabin.  This  loss  of 
property  was  recorded  by  Mr.  Thompson  in  the  ship's 
log-book,  with  his  accustomed  accuracy,  and  with  Spartan 
brevity.  The  language  he  invariably  used  was,  "A  sheep 
died  this  day." 

Among  the  crew  of  the  Dolphin  were  two  weather- 
beaten  tars,  who  were  as  careless  of  their  costumes  as 
of  their  characters.  They  recked  little  how  ridiculously 
they  looked,  excepting  in  one  respect.  They  could  each 
boast  of  a  magnificent  head  of  hair,  which  they  allowed 
to  grow  to  a  great  length  on  the  back  of  the  head,  where 
it  was  collected  and  fashioned  into  enormous  queues, 
which,  when  permitted  to  hang  down,  reached  to  the 
small  of  their  backs,  and  gave  them  the  appearance  of 


INCIDENTS    AT    SEA.  25 

Chinese  mandarins,  or  Turkish  pachas  of  a  single  tail. 
These  tails  were  their  pets  —  the  only  ornaments  about 
their  persons  for  which  they  manifested  any  interest. 
This  pride  in  their  queues  was  the  weak  point  in  their 
characters.  Every  Sunday  they  performed  on  each  other 
the  operation  of  manipulating  the  pendulous  ornaments, 
straightening  them  out  like  magnified  marlinspikes,  and 
binding  them  with  ribbons  or  rope-yarns,  tastily  fastened 
at  the  extremity  by  a  double  bow  knot. 

Queues,  in  those  days,  were  worn  on  the  land  as  well 
as  on  the  sea,  and  were  as  highly  prized  by  the  owners. 
On  the  land,  they  were  harmless  enough,  perhaps,  and 
seldom  ungratefully  interfered  with  the  comfort  of  their 
benefactors  or  lured  them  into  scrapes.  On  shipboard 
the  case  was  different,  and  they  sometimes  proved  not 
only  superfluous  but  troublesome. 

On  our  homeward  passage  a  case  occurred  which  illus- 
trated the  absurdity  of  wearing  a  queue  at  sea  —  a  fashion 
which  has  been  obsolete  for  many  years.  A  gale  of  wind 
occurred  on  the  coast,  and  the  crew  were  ordered  aloft  to 
reef  the  fore-topsail.  Jim  Bilton,  with  his  queue  snugly 
clubbed  and  tucked  away  beneath  his  pea-jacket,  was  first 
on  the  yard,  and  passed  the  weather  ear-ring ;  but,  unfor- 
tunately, the  standing  rigging  had  recently  been  tarred, 
and  his  queue,  escaping  from  bondage,  was  blown  about, 
the  sport  of  the  wind,  and  after  flapping  against  the  yard, 
took  a  "round  turn"  over  the  lift,  and  stuck  fast.  Jim 
was  in  an  awkward  position.  He  could  not  immediately 
disengage  his  queue,  and  he  could  not  willingly  or  con- 
veniently leave  it  aloft.  All  hands  but  himself  were 
promptly  on  deck,  and  ready  to  sway  up  the  yard.  The 
mate  shouted  to  him  in  the  full  strength  of  his  lungs,  to 
"Bear  a  hand  and  lay  in  off  the  yard,"  and  unjustly 
berated  him  as  a  "lubber,"  while  the  poor  fellow  was 
tugging  away,  and  working  with  might  and  main,  to  dis- 

3 


26  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

engage  his  tail  from  the  lift,  in  which  he  at  length  suc- 
ceeded, but  not  without  the  aid  of  his  jackknife. 

I  was  greatly  troubled  during  this  passage  by  the 
impure  character  of  the  water.  I  had  been  taught  to 
place  a  high  value  on  water  as  a  beverage  ;  but  when  we 
had  been  three  weeks  at  sea,  and  had  entered  the  warm 
latitudes,  on  knocking  a  bung  from  one  of  the  water  casks 
on  the  quarter-deck,  there  issued  an  odor  of  "  an  ancient 
and  fish-like"  nature,  which  gave  offence  to  my  olfac- 
tories. On  tasting  the  water,  I  found  to  my  disgust  that 
it  was  impregnated  with  a  flavor  of  a  like  character,  and 
after  it  was  swallowed  this  flavor  would  cling  to  the 
palate  with  provoking  tenacity  for  several  minutes.  The 
sailors  smacked  their  lips  over  it  once  or  twice,  and  pro- 
nounced it  "from  fair  to  middling."  When  boiled,  and 
drank  under  the  name  of  tea  or  coffee,  it  might  have 
deserved  that  character ;  but  when  taken  directly  from 
the  cask,  and  quaffed  in  hot  weather,  as  a  pleasant  and 
refreshing  beverage  it  was  a  signal  failure. 

To  the  inmates  of  the  cabin,  myself  excepted,  the  pecu- 
liar flavor  of  the  water  served  as  an  excuse,  if  any  were 
required,  for  drawing  liberally  on  the  brandy  kegs  and 
liquor  cases.  A  little  "dash  of  spirit"  removed  the  un- 
pleasant taste  by  adding  another,  which,  to  my  unsophis- 
ticated palate,  was  equally  offensive.  The  water  in  every 
cask  proved  of  a  similar  character ;  and  I  could  hardly 
imagine  how  use,  or  even  necessity,  could  reconcile  a 
person  to  such  water  as  that.  The  problem  was  solved, 
but  not  entirely  to  my  satisfaction,  on  my  next  voyage. 

The  duties  of  cabin  boy  were  of  a  nature  different  from 
my  occupations  in  previous  years.  They  engrossed  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  my  time  ;  and  though  they  were  not 
the  kind  of  duties  I  most  loved  to  perform,  I  endeavored 
to  accommodate  my  feelings  to  my  situation,  comforting 
myself  with  the  belief  that  the  voyage  would  not  be  of 


THE    WOODEN    WALLS    OF    OLD    ENGLAND.  27 

long  duration,  and  that  I  was  now  taking  the  first  stop 
in  the  rugged  path  which  led  to  fame  and  fortune. 

I  devoted  the  hours  which  I  could  spare  from  my 
appropriate  duties  to  the  acquisition  of  a  knowledge  of 
seamanship,  and  developing  its  mysteries.  I  was  fond  of 
going  aloft  when  the  vessel  was  rolling  or  pitching  in  a 
strong  breeze.  I  loved  to  mount  upon  the  top-gallant 
yard,  and  from  that  proud  eminence,  while  rocking  to 
and  fro,  look  down  upon  the  sails  and  spars  of  the  brig, 
take  a  bird'seye  view  of  the  deck,  and  scan  the  various 
operations ;  look  at  the  foam  beneath  the  bows,  or  at  the 
smooth,  eddying,  serpentine  track  left  far  behind.  I  also 
loved  to  gaze  from  this  elevated  position  upon  the  broad 
ocean,  bounded  on  every  side  by  the  clear  and  distant 
horizon  —  a  grand  and  sublime  sight.  And  then  I  in- 
dulged in  daydreams  of  the  most  pleasing  description, 
and  built  gay  and  fantastic  castles  in  the  air,  which  my 
reason  told  me  the  next  moment  would  never  be  realized. 


CHAPTER    III. 

MANNING    THE     WOODEN    WALLS    OF    OLD 
ENGLAND. 

ONE  morning,  soon  after  daybreak,  as  I  was  lying 
asleep  in  my  berth,  I  was  awakened  by  a  trampling  on 
dock  and  loud  shouts.  Aware  that  something  unusual 
h;ul  occurred,  I  lost  no  time  in  hastening  to  the  scene 
of  action.  Ere  I  reached  the  deck  I  heard  the  word 
"  porpoises "  uttered  in  a  loud  key  by  one  of  the  sailors, 
which  explained  the  cause  of  the  excitement. 

The  mate,  with  sparkling  eye  and  rigid  features,  in 
Avhich  determination  was  strongly  stamped,  as  if  resolved 


28  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

to  "  do  or  die,"  was  busily  engaged  in  fitting  a  line  to 
the  harpoon,  which  had  been  sharpened  and  prepared  for 
use  some  days  before.  I  cast  my  eye  to  windward,  and 
saw  the  ocean  alive  with  fish.  Hundreds  of  porpoises 
were  swimming  around  the  brig,  crossing  the  bows,  or 
following  in  the  wake,  or  leaping  out  of  water  and  snuff- 
ing the  air,  and  racing  with  each  other  as  if  for  a  wager ; 
passing  so  rapidly  through  the  liquid  element  that  it 
wearied  the  eye  to  follow  them. 

The  mate  was  soon  ready  with  the  harpoon,  and  took 
his  station  on  the  bowspiit,  within  six  feet  of  the  water. 
The  line,  one  end  of  which  was  fastened  to  the  harpoon, 
was  rove  through  a  block  attached  to  the  main-topmast 
stay  ;  and  the  cook,  one  of  the  sailors,  and  myself  firmly 
grasped  the  rope,  and  stood  ready,  whenever  the  word 
might  be  given,  to  bowse  the  unsuspecting  and  deluded 
victim  out  of  his  native  element  and  introduce  him  to 
the  ship's  company. 

Mr.  Thompson  stood  on  the  bowsprit,  poising  the 
death-dealing  instrument,  and  with  a  keen  eye  watched 
the  gambols  of  the  fish.  He  looked  as  formidable  and 
fierce  as  a  Paladin  intent  on  some  daring  and  desperate 
enterprise.  As  I  eyed  him  with  admiration  and  envy  I 
wondered  if  the  time  would  ever  arrive  when,  clad  with 
authority,  I  should  exercise  the  privilege  of  wielding  the 
harpoon  and  striking  a  porpoise  !  Several  of  these  inter- 
esting fish,  not  aware  of  the  inhospitable  reception  await- 
ing them,  and  seemingly  prompted  by  curiosity,  rapidly 
approached  the  brig.  "  Stand  by,  my  lads  ! "  exclaimed 
the  mate,  his  face  lighted  by  a  gleam  of  anticipated 
triumph.  One  huge  fellow  passed  directly  beneath  the 
bowsprit,  and  Mr.  Thompson  let  drive  the  harpoon  with 
all  the  strength  and  energy  he  possessed.  We  hauled 
upon  the  line  with  vigor  —  alas  !  it  required  but  little 
exertion  to  haul  it  in  :  the  mate  had  missed  his  mark. 

In  a  few  minutes  another  of  these  portly  inhabitants 


THE    WOODEN   WALLS    OF    OLD    ENGLAND.  29 

of  the  deep  came  rolling  along  with  a  rowdy,  swaggering 
gait,  close  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  mate,  cool 
and  collected,  took  a  careful  aim,  and  again  threw  the 
iron,  which  entered  his  victim,  and  then  shouted  with  the 
voice  of  a  Stentor,  "  Haul  in !  haul  in ! "  And  we  did 
haul  in  ;  but  the  fish  was  strong  and  muscular,  and  strag- 
gled hard  for  liberty  and  life.  In  spite  of  our  prompt  and 
vigorous  exertions,  he  was  dragged  under  the  brig's  bot- 
tom ;  and  if  he  had  not  been  struck  in  a  workmanlike 
manner,  the  harpoon  would  have  drawn  out,  and  the 
porpoise  would  have  escaped,  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  his 
unsympathizing  companions.  As  it  was,  after  a  severe 
struggle  on  both  sides,  we  roused  him  out  of  the  water, 
when  the  mate  called  for  the  jib  down-haul,  with  which 
he  made  a  running  bowline,  which  was  clapped  over  his 
tail  and  drawn  tight ;  and  in  this  inglorious  manner  he 
was  hauled  in  on  the  deck. 

The  porpoise  is  a  fish  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  weigh- 
ing from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  pounds. 
The  name  is  derived  from  the  Italian  word  porco-perce,  or 
hog-fish  ;  and  indeed  this  animal  resembles  a  hog  in  many 
respects.  It  has  a  long  head,  terminated  by  a  projection 
of  its  jaws,  which  are  well  filled  with  sharp  teeth,  white 
as  polished  ivory.  The  body  is  covered  with  a  coat  of  fat, 
or  blubber,  from  one  to  three  inches  in  thickness,  which 
yields  abundance  of  excellent  oil ;  and  the  flesh  beneath 
is  not  very  unlike  that  of  a  hog,  but  more  oily,  coarser, 
and  of  a  darker  color.  The  flesh,  excepting  the  harslet, 
is  not  much  prized,  though  some  sailors  are  fond  of  it,  and 
rejoice  at  the  capture  of  a  porpoise,  which  gives  them  an 
agreeable  change  of  diet. 

A  few  days  after  this  event,  being  to  the  southward  of 
Bermuda,  I  climbed  to  the  fore-top-gallant  yard,  and  cast- 
ing my  eyes  around,  saw  on  the  verge  of  the  horizon  a 
white  speck,  which  made  a  singular  appearance,  contrast- 
ing, as  it  did,  with  the  dark  hue  of  the  ocean  and  the 

3* 


JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

clear  azure  of  a  cloudless  sky.  I  called  to  a  sailor  who 
was  at  work  in  the  cross-trees,  and  pointed  it  out  to  him. 
As  soon  as  he  saw  it  he  exclaimed,  "  Sail,  ho  ! " 

The  captain  was  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  responded 
to  the  announcement  by  the  inquiry  of  "Where  away?" 

"About  three  points  on  the  larboard  bow,"  was  the 
rejoinder. 

We  had  not  spoken  a  vessel  since  we  left  Portsmouth. 
Indeed,  we  had  seen  none,  excepting  a  few  fishing  smacks 
on  St.  George's  Bank.  The  sight  of  a  vessel  t>n  the  broad 
ocean  ordinarily  produces  considerable  excitement ;  and 
this  excitement  is  of  a  pleasing  character  when  there  is  no 
reason  to  believe  the  stranger  an  enemy.  It  varies  the 
incidents  of  a  tedious  passage,  and  shows  that  you  are  not 
alone  on  the  face  of  the  waters  ;  that  others  are  traversing 
the  ocean  and  tempting  its  dangers,  urged  by  a  love  of 
adventure  or  thirst  of  gain. 

The  captain  looked  at  the  strange  vessel  through  his 
spy-glass,  and  said  it  was  standing  towards  us.  We 
approached  each  other  rapidly,  for  the  stranger  carried 
a  cloud  of  sail,  and  was  evidently  a  fast  sailer.  By  the 
peculiar  color  and  cut  of  the  canvas,  the  captain  was 
led  to  believe  we  were  about  to  be  overhauled  by  a 
British  man-of-war.  This  announcement  gave  me  pleas- 
ure. I  longed  for  an  opportunity  to  behold  one  of  that 
class  of  vessels,  of  which  I  had  heard  so  much.  But 
all  the  crew  did  not  participate  in  my  feelings.  Two 
of  the  sailors,  whom  I  had  good  reason  to  believe  were 
not  "  native  Americans,"  although  provided  with  Ameri- 
can protections,  looked  unusually  grave  when  the  cap- 
tain expressed  his  opinion,  manifested  no  little  anxiety, 
and  muttered  bitter  curses  against  the  English  men-of-war! 

I  then  learned  that  the  British  navy  —  "the  wooden 
walls  of  Old  England"  —  whose  vaunted  prowess  was 
in  every  mouth,  was  manned  almost  exclusively  by  men 
who  did  not  voluntarily  enter  the  service,  prompted  by 


THE    WOODEN    WALLS    OP    OLD    EXGLAND.  31 

a  feeling  of  patriotism,  a  sense  of  honor,  or  the  expec- 
tation of  emolument,  but  were  victims  to  the  unjust 
and  arbitrary  system  of  impressment. 

It  is  singular  that  in  the  early  part  of  the  present 
century,  when  Clarkson,  Wilberforce,  and  other  philan- 
thropists, with  a  zeal  and  perseverance  which  reflects 
immortal  honor  on  their  names,  labored  unceasingly 
and  successfully  to  abolish  an  important  branch  of  the 
African  slave  trade,  no  voice  was  raised  in  the  British 
parliament  to  abolish  the  impressment  of  seamen  —  a 
system  of  slavery  as  odious,  unjust  and  degrading,  as 
was  ever  established  by  a  despotic  government! 

At  that  time  Great  Britain  was  engaged  in  sanguinary 
\v:ii-s,  and  her  flag  was  borne  by  her  ships  on  every  sea. 
It  was  difficult  to  man  her  navy,  the  pay  being  small, 
and  the  penalties  for  misconduct  or  venial  errors  terribly 
severe.  Therefore,  when  on  the  ocean,  British  ships 
of  war  in  want  of  men  were  in  the  habit  of  impressing 
sailors  from  merchant  vessels,  and  often  without  regard 
to  national  character.  American  ships  were  fired  at, 
brought  to,  and  strictly  searched  by  these  tyrants  of 
the  ocean  ;  and  when  foreigners  were  found  on  board, 
whether  British,  Swedes,  Dutch,  Russians,  Norwegians, 
or  Spaniards,  they  were  liable  to  be  claimed  as  fit 
persons  to  serve  "  His  Majesty."  In  spite  of  remon- 
strances and  menaces,  they  were  conveyed  on  board 
the  British  men-of-war,  doomed  to  submit  to  insult  and 
injustice,  and  to  risk  their  lives  while  fighting  in  quar- 
rels in  which  they  felt  no  interest. 

British  seamen  were  seized  wherever  met,  whether 
pursuing  their  lawful  business  on  the  high  seas,  or  while 
on  shore  walking  quietly  through  the  streets  of  a  city 
or  town  ;  even  in  the  bosom  of  their  families,  or  when 
quietly  reposing  on  their  pillows !  Press-gangs,  com- 
posed of  desperate  men,  headed  by  resolute  and  unscru- 
pulous officers,  were  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  men, 


32  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  took  them,  sometimes  after  hard  fighting,  and 
dragged  them  away  to  undergo  the  horrors  of  slavery 
on  board  a  man-of-war! 

It  is  not  remarkable  that  a  sailor  in  those  days  should 
have  dreaded  a  "man-of-war"  as  the  most  fearful  of 
evils,  and  would  resort  to  desperate  means  to  avoid 
impressment  or  escape  from  bondage.  Those  few  fortu- 
nate men,  who,  by  resolution  or  cunning,  had  succeeded 
in  escaping  from  their  sea-girt  prisons,  detailed  the 
treatment  they  had  received  with  minute  and  hideous 
accuracy  to  others ;  and  that  they  could  not  have  exag- 
gerated the  statements  is  proved  by  the  risks  they  vol- 
untarily encountered  to  gain  their  freedom.  The  bullets 
of  the  marines  on  duty,  the  fear  of  the  voracious 
shark  in  waters  where  they  abounded,  the  dangers  of 
a  pestilential  climate,  or  the  certainty,  if  retaken,  of 
being  subjected  to  a  more  revolting  and  excruciating 
punishment  than  was  ever  devised  by  the  Spanish  Inqui- 
sition — flogging  through  the  fleet  —  could  not  deter 
British  seamen  from  attempting  to  flee  from  their  de- 
tested prison-house. 

American  seamen  were  sometimes  forcibly  taken  from 
American  ships,  and  their  protestations  against  the  out- 
rage, and  their  repeated  declarations,  "  I  am  an  Ameri- 
can citizen ! "  served  only  as  amusement  to  the  kidnap- 
pers. Letters  which  they  subsequently  wrote  to  their 
friends,  soliciting  their  aid,  or  the  intercession  of  the 
government,  seldom  reached  their  destination.  It  was 
rarely  that  the  poor  fellows  were  heard  of  after  they 
were  pressed  on  board  a  man-of-war.  They  died  of 
disease  in  pestilential  climates,  or  fell  in  battle  while 
warring  in  behalf  of  a  government  they  hated,  and 
principles  with  which  they  had  no  sympathy. 

This  gross  violation  of  the  laws  of  nations  and  the 
principles  of  justice  furnished  one  of  the  strongest  mo- 
tives for  the  war  which  was  declared  in  1812. 


THE    WOODEN   WALLS    OF   OLD   ENGLAND.  83 

Nor  were  these  insults  on  the  part  of  British  cruisers 
confined  to  American  merchant  ships.  Our  government 
vessels  were,  in  more  than  one  instance,  boarded  with  a 
view  to  examine  the  crews  and  take  the  men,  if  any, 
who  happened  to  be  born  under  the  British  flag.  A 
successful  attempt  was  made  in  the  case  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, which  frigate,  under  the  command  of  Commodore 
Barren,  made  a  feeble  show  of  resistance,  and  was  fired 
into  in  a  time  of  peace,  several  of  her  crew  killed  and 
wounded,  and  compelled  to  strike  her  colors!  The 
Chesapeake  was  then  boarded,  and  the  Englishmen 
found  on  board  were  seized  upon  and  transferred  to 
the  British  ship ! 

An  attempt  of  a  similar  kind  was  made  some  years 
before,  but  with  a  different  result.  When  the  heroic 
Tingey  commanded  the  Ganges,  in  1799,  being  off  Cape 
Nicola  Mole,  he  was  boarded  by  a  boat  from  the  Eng- 
lish frigate  Surprise,  and  a  demand  was  very  coolly  made 
that  all  the  Englishmen  on  board  the  Ganges  should  be 
given  up,  as  they  were  wanted  for  the  service  of  His 
Majesty,  George  III. ! 

Captain  Tingey  returned  the  following  noble  reply : 
"  Give  my  respects  to  your  commander ;  the  respects 
of  Captain  Tingey,  of  the  American  navy;  and  tell 
him  from  me,  that  a  public  ship  carries  no  protection 
for  her  men  but  her  flag !  I  may  not  succeed  in  a 
contest  with  you,  but  I  will  die  at  my  quarters  before 
a  man  shall  be  taken  from  my  ship ! M 

The  crew  gave  three  cheers,  hastened  with  alacrity 
to  their  guns,  and  called  for  "Yankee  Doodle."  The 
captain  of  the  Surprise,  although  one  of  the  bravest 
officers  in  the  British  service,  on  hearing  the  determina- 
tion of  the  Yankee,  chose  rather  to  continue  on  his 
cruise  than  do  battle  for  dead  men. 

In  less  than  an  hour  after  the  strange  sail  was  seen 
from  the  decks  of  the  Dolphin  the  surmises  of  the 


84  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

captain  were  proved  to  be  correct.  The  stranger  was 
undoubtedly  an  English  brig-of-war  of  the  largest 
class.  We  could  see  the  port-holes,  through  which  the 
cannon  protruded,  and  distinguish  the  gleam  of  muskets 
and  cutlasses,  and  other  instruments  of  destruction.  The 
sails  were  so  large  and  so  neatly  fitted,  and  the  hull 
was  so  symmetrical  in  its  model,  and  the  brig  glided  along 
so  gracefully  over  the  waves,  that  I  was  charmed  with 
her  appearance,  and  could  hardly  express  my  satisfaction. 

We  continued  on  our  course,  with  the  American  en- 
sign flying,  our  captain  hoping  that  this  emissary  of 
John  Bull,  seeing  the  character  of  our  vessel,  which 
no  one  could  mistake,  would  suffer  us  to  pass  on  our 
way  unmolested,  when  a  volume  of  flame  and  smoke 
issued  from  the  bow  of  the  sloop-of-war,  and  a  messen- 
ger, in  the  shape  of  a  cannon  ball,  came  whistling  over 
the  waves,  and,  after  crossing  our  bows  in  a  diagonal 
direction,  and  striking  the  surface  of  the  water  several 
times,  buried  itself  in  a  huge  billow  at  no  great  distance. 
This  was  language  that  required  no  interpreter.  It 
was  a  mandate  that  must  be  obeyed.  The  helm  was 
ordered  "  hard-a-lee,"  the  foresail  hauled  up,  and  the 
topsail  laid  to  the  mast. 

The  armed  brig  hoisted  British  colors,  and  her  boat 
was  soon  alongside  the  Dolphin.  An  officer  sprang 
on  board,  followed  by  several  sailors.  With  an  ofl> 
hand,  swaggering  air,  the  officer  addressed  Captain  Til- 
ton,  demanding  where  we  were  from,  whither  we  were 
bound,  and  the  character  of  our  cargo.  He  then  ex- 
pressed an  intention  to  examine  the  ship's  papers,  and 
went  with  the  captain  into  the  cabin  for  that  purpose. 
When  they  returned  on  deck,  Captain  Tilton  ordered 
the  mate  to  summon  aft  the  crew.  This  was  not  a 
work  of  difficulty,  for  they  were  standing  in  the  waist, 
deeply  interested  spectators  of  the  proceedings.  At 
least  three  of  them  were  trembling  with  fear,  and  specu- 


THE    WOODEX    WALLS    OF    OLD    EXGLAXD.  35 

lating  on  the  chances  of  being  again  impressed  on  board 
an  English  man-of-war. 

"  Where  are  these  men's  protections  ? "  demanded  the 
lieutenant. 

By  "  protection,"  was  meant  a  printed  certificate, 
under  the  signature  and  seal  of  the  collector  of  one  of 
the  revenue  districts  in  the  United  States,  stating  that 
the  person,  whose  age,  height,  and  complexion  were  par- 
ticularly described,  had  adduced  satisfactory  proof  of 
being  an  American  citizen.  An  American  seaman  found 
without  this  document,  whether  in  a  foreign  port  or  on 
the  high  seas,  was  looked  upon  as  an  Englishman,  not- 
withstanding the  most  conclusive  proof  to  the  contrary, 
and  regardless  of  his  rights  or  the  engagements  by  which 
he  might  be  bound,  was  dragged  on  board  a  man-of-war 
as  a  lawful  prize. 

"  Here  are  the  protections,"  said  Captain  Tilton,  hand- 
ing the  papers  to  the  Englishman. 

The  men  were,  one  by  one,  examined,  to  see  if  the 
descriptions  corresponded  with  their  persons.  They  were 
found  to  correspond  exactly. 

The  officer  was  not  to  be  easily  balked  of  his  prey. 
Turning  suddenly  to  one  of  them,  a  weather-beaten,  case- 
hardened  old  tar,  who  wore  a  queue,  and  whose  name 
was  borne  on  the  shipping  paper  as  Harry  Johnson,  he 
sternly  asked,  "How  long  is  it  since  you  left  His  Majesty's 
service  ? " 

The  poor  fellow  turned  pale  as  death.  He  lifted  his 
hand  to  his  hat,  in  a  most  anti-republican  style,  and  stam- 
mered out  something  indistinctly. 

"'Tis  of  no  use,  Johnson,"  exclaimed  the  officer.  "I 
see  how  it  is ;  and  we  must  be  better  acquainted.  Your 
protection  was  obtained  by  perjury.  Get  ready  to  go  in 
the  boat." 

In  vain  Captain  Tilton  represented  that  Johnson  was 
sailing  under  the  American  flag;  that  he  had  the  usual 


36  JACK    IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

certificate  of  being  an  American  citizen ;  that  his  vessel 
was  already  short  manned,  considering  the  peculiar  char- 
acter of  the  cargo,  and  if  his  crew  should  be  reduced,  he 
might  find  himself  unable  to  manage  the  brig  in  heavy 
weather,  which  there  was  reason  to  expect  at  that  season 
in  the  latitude  of  the  West  Indies. 

To  these  representations  the  lieutenant  replied  in  a  brief 
and  dry  manner.  He  said  the  man  was  an  Englishman, 
and  was  wanted.  He  repeated  his  orders  to  Johnson,  in  a 
more  peremptory  tone,  to  "  go  in  the  boat." 

To  the  threats  of  the  captain  that  he  would  lay  the 
matter  before  Congress,  and  make  it  a  national  affair,  the 
officer  seemed  altogether  indifferent.  He  merely  bade 
his  trembling  victim  "  bear  a  hand,"  as  he  wished  to  return 
to  the  brig  without  delay. 

When  Johnson  saw  there  was  no  alternative,  that  his 
fate  was  fixed,  he  prepared  to  meet  it  like  a  man.  He 
looked  at  the  American  ensign,  which  was  waving  over 
his  head,  and  said  it  was  a  pity  the  American  flag  could 
not  protect  those  who  sailed  under  it  from  insult  and 
outrage.  He  shook  each  of  us  by  the  hand,  gave  us  his 
best  wishes,  and  followed  his  baggage  into  the  boat,  which 
immediately  shoved  off. 

The  officer  told  Captain  Tilton  that  when  the  British  en- 
sign was  hauled  down,  he  might  fill  away,  and  proceed  on 
his  voyage.  In  about  fifteen  minutes  the  ensign  was 
hauled  down.  Orders  were  given  to  fill  away  the  fore- 
topsail.  The  helm  was  put  up,  and  we  resumed  our 
course  for  Demarara. 

Steering  to  the  southward,  we  reached  that  narrow  belt 
of  the  Atlantic,  called  "  the  doldrums,"  which  lies  between 
the  variable  and  the  trade  winds.  This  tract  is  from  two 
to  three  degrees  in  width,  and  is  usually  fallen  in  with 
soon  after  crossing  the  thirtieth  degree  of  latitude.  Here 
the  wind  is  apt  to  be  light  and  baffling  at  all  seasons ;  and 
sometimes  calms  prevail  for  several  days.  This  tract  of 


THE    WOODEN"    WALLS   OF   OLD   ENGLAND.  37 

ocean  was  once  known  as  the  "  horse  latitudes,"  because 
many  years  ago  vessels  from  Connecticut  were  in  the 
habit  of  taking  deck-loads  of  horses  to  the  West  India 
islands,  and  it  not  unfrequently  happened  that  these  ves- 
sels, being  for  the  most  part  dull  sailers,  were  so  long 
detained  in  those  latitudes  that  their  hay,  provender,  and 
water  were  expended,  and  the  animals  died  of  hunger  and 
thirst. 

The  Dolphin  was  a  week  in  crossing  three  degrees  of 
latitude.  Indeed  it  was  a  calm  during  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  that  time.  This  drew  largely  on  the  patience  of 
the  captain,  mate,  and  all  hands.  There  are  few  things  so 
annoying  to  a  sailor  at  sea  as  a  calm.  A  gale  of  wind, 
even  a  hurricane,  with  its  life,  its  energy,  its  fury,  though 
it  may  bring  the  conviction  of  danger,  is  preferred  by  an 
old  sailor  to  the  dull,  listless  monotony  of  a  calm. 

These  slow  movements  in  the  "horse  latitudes"  were 
not  distasteful  to  me.  A  calm  furnished  abundant  food 
for  curiosity.  The  immense  fields  of  gulf-weed,  with  their 
parasitical  inhabitants,  that  we  now  began  to  fall  in  with  ; 
the  stately  species  of  nautilus,  known  as  the  Portuguese 
man-of-war,  floating  so  gracefully,  with  its  transparent 
body  and  delicate  tints;  and  the  varieties  of  fish  occasion- 
ally seen,  including  the  flying-fish,  dolphin,  boneta,  and 
shark,  all  furnish  to  an  inquiring  mind  subjects  of  deep 
and  abiding  interest.  My  wonder  was  also  excited  by 
the  singularly  glassy  smoothness  of  the  surface  of  the 
water  in  a  dead  calm,  while  at  the  same  time  the  long, 
rolling  waves,  or  "  seas,"  kept  the  brig  in  perpetual  motion, 
and  swept  past  as  if  despatched  by  some  mysterious  power 
on  a  mission  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

Several  kinds  of  fish  that  are  met  with  on  the  ocean 
are  really  palatable,  and  find  a  hearty  welcome  in  the 
cabin  and  the  forecastle.  To  capture  these  denizens  of 
the  deep,  a  line,  to  which  is  attached  a  large  hook  baited 
with  a  small  fish,  or  a  piece  of  the  rind  of  pork,  shaped  to 

4 


88  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

resemble  a  fish,  is  sometimes  kept  towing  n stern  in  pleasant 
weather.  This  was  the  custom  on  board  the  Dolphin;  and 
one  afternoon,  when  the  brig,  fanned  by  gentle  zephyrs, 
hardly  had  "  steerage  way,"  my  attention  was  aroused  by 
by  an  exulting  shout  from  the  man  at  the  helm,  followed 
by  a  solemn  asseveration,  that  "a  fish  was  hooked  at  last.'' 

All  was  bustle  and  excitement.  Discipline  was  sud- 
denly relaxed,  and  the  captain,  mate,  and  crew  mounted 
the  taffrail  forthwith  to  satisfy  their  curiosity  in  regard  to 
the  character  of  the  prowling  intruder,  which  was  dis- 
tinctly seen  struggling  in  the  wake.  It  proved  to  be  a 
shark.  But  the  fellow  disdained  to  be  captured  by  such 
ignoble  instruments  as  a  cod  line  and  a  halibut  hook.  He 
remained  comparatively  passive  for  a  time,  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  hauled,  by  the  united  efforts  of  the  cre\v, 
some  three  or  four  fathoms  towards  the  brig,  when,  an- 
noyed by  the  restraint  imposed  upon  him,  or  disliking  the 
wild  and  motley  appearance  of  the  ship's  company,  he 
took  a  broad  sheer  to  starboard,  the  hook  snapped  like  a 
pipestem,  and  the  hated  monster  swam  off  in  another 
direction,  wagging  his  tail  in  the  happy  consciousness 
that  he  was  "  free,  untrammelled,  and  disinthralled." 

"Never  mind,"  said  Mr.  Thompson,  making  an  effort  to 
console  himself  for  the  disappointment,  "  we'll  have  the  ras- 
cal yet." 

The  shark  manifested  no  disposition  to  leave  our  neigh- 
borhood, or  in  any  other  way  showed  displeasure  at  the 
trick  we  had  played  him.  On  the  contrary,  he  drew 
nearer  the  vessel,  and  moved  indolently  and  defiantly 
about,  with  his  dorsal  fin  and  a  portion  of  his  tail  above 
the  water.  He  was  undoubtedly  hungry  as  well  as  proud, 
and  it  is  well  known  that  sharks  are  not  particular  with 
regard  to  the  quality  of  their  food.  Every  thing  that  is 
edible,  and  much  which  is  indigestible,  is  greedily  seized 
and  devoured  by  these  voracious  fish. 

We  had  no  shark  hook  on  board;  nevertheless,  the  mate 


THE   WOODEN    WALLS    OF   OLD    ENGLAND.  39 

lost  no  time  in  making  arrangements  to  capture  this 
enemy  of  sailors.  He  fastened  a  piece  of  beef  to  the 
end  of  a  rope  and  threw  it  overboard,  letting  it  drag 
astern.  This  attracted  the  attention  of  the  shark,  who 
gradually  approached  the  tempting  morsel,  regarding  it 
with  a  wistful  eye,  but  with  a  lurking  suspicion  that  all 
was  not  right. 

It  was  now  seen  that  the  shark  was  not  alone,  but  was 
attended  by  several  fish  of  small  size,  beautifully  mottled, 
and  measuring  from  four  to  eight  or  ten  inches  in  length. 
They  swam  boldly  around  the  shark,  above  and  beneath 
him,  and  sometimes  passed  directly  in  front  of  his  jaws, 
while  the  shark  manifested  no  desire  to  seize  his  compan- 
ions and  satisfy  his  hunger.  These  were  "pilot  fish,"  and 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  tropics  a  shark  is  seldom  seen 
without  one  or  more  attendants  of  this  description. 

Two  of  these  pilot  fish  swam  towards  the  beef,  exam- 
ined it  carefully  with  their  eyes,  and  rubbed  it  with 
their  noses,  and  then  returned  to  their  lord  and  master. 
It  required  but  a  slight  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  sup- 
pose that  these  well-meaning  servants  made  a  favorable 
report,  and  whispered  in  his  ear  that  "  all  was  right,"  and 
thus  unwittingly  betrayed  him  to  his  ruin. 

Be  that  as  it  will,  the  shark  now  swam  boldly  towards 
the  beef,  as  if  eager  to  devour  it ;  but  Mr.  Thompson 
hauled  upon  the  rope  until  the  precious  viand  was  almost 
directly  beneath  the  tarn-ail.  In  the  mean  time  the  mate 
had  caused  a  running  bowline,  or  noose,  to  be  prepared 
from  a  small  but  strong  rope.  This  was  lowered  over  the 
stern  into  the  water,  and  by  a  little  dexterous  management, 
the  shark  was  coaxed  to  enter  it  in  his  eagerness  to  get 
at  the  beef.  The  mate  let  fall  the  running  part  of  the 
bowline  and  hauled  upon  the  other,  and  to  the  utter 
bewilderment  of  the  hungry  monster,  he  found  himself 
entrapped  —  in  the  power  of  his  mortal  enemies — being 
firmly  and  ingloriously  fastened  by  the  tail.  When  he 


40  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

discovered  the  inhospitable  deception  of  which  he  was 
the  victim  he  appeared  angry,  and  made  furious  efforts 
to  escape ;  but  the  rope  was  strong,  and  his  struggles 
served  only  to  draw  the  noose  tighter. 

The  shark  was  hauled  on  board,  and  made  a  terrible 
flouncing  on  the  quarter-deck  before  he  could  be  de- 
spatched. It  was  interesting  to  witness  the  eagerness  with 
which  he  was  assailed  by  the  sailors.  This  animal  is  re- 
garded as  their  most  inveterate  foe,  and  they  seize  with 
avidity  any  chance  to  diminish  the  numbers  of  these 
monsters  of  the  deep.  It  was  some  time  before  he  would 
succumb  to  the  murderous  attacks  of  his  enemies.  He 
wreaked  his  vengeance  on  the  ropes  around  him,  and  sev- 
ered them  with  his  sharp  teeth  as  completely  and  smoothly 
as  if  they  had  been  cut  with  a  knife.  But  when  his  head 
was  nearly  cut  off,  and  his  skull  beat  in  by  the  cook's  axe 
and  handspikes,  the  shark,  finding  further  resistance  im- 
possible as  well  as  useless,  resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 

Sharks  not  unfrequently  follow  a  vessel  in  moderate 
weather  for  several  days,  and  in  tropical  latitudes  some- 
times lurk  under  a  ship's  bottom,  watching  a  chance  to 
gratify  their  appetites.  For  this  reason  it  is  dangerous 
for  a  person  to  bathe  in  the  sea  during  a  calm,  as  they  are 
by  no  means  choice  in  regard  to  their  food,  but  will  as 
readily  make  a  meal  from  the  leg  of  a  sailor  as  from  the 
wing  of  a  chicken. 

Mr.  Thompson  related  a  case  which  occurred  on  board  a 
vessel  belonging  to  Portsmouth,  the  year  before,  and  to 
which  he  was  a  witness.  One  Sunday  morning,  in  the 
warm  latitudes,  while  the  sea  was  calm,  a  young  man,  on 
his  first  voyage,  quietly  undressed  himself,  and  without 
a  word  to  any  one,  thoughtlessly  mounted  the  cathead 
and  plunged  into  the  water.  He  swam  off  some  distance 
from  the  ship,  and  laughing  and  shouting,  seemed  greatly 
to  admire  the  refreshing  exercise.  The  captain,  on  being 
informed  of  his  imprudent  conduct,  called  to  him,  rebuked 


LAND,  HO!  41 

him  severely,  and  ordered  him  to  return  immediately  to 
the  ship.  The  young  sailor  turned  about,  wondering 
what  impropriety  there  could  be  in  taking  a  pleasant  bath 
during  such  sultry  weather.  He  swam  beneath  the  fore- 
chain-wales,  and  took  hold  of  a  rope  to  aid  him  in  getting 
on  board.  A  couple  of  his  shipmates  also  seized  him  by 
the  wrists  to  assist  him  in  climbing  up  the  side.  For  a 
moment  he  remained  motionless,  with  half  his  body  in  the 
water,  when  a  huge  shark,  that  had  been  lying  in  wait 
under  the  ship's  bottom,  seized  him  by  the  leg.  The 
unfortunate  young  man  uttered  the  most  piteous  screams, 
and  every  one  was  instinctively  aware  of  the  cause  of  his 
terrible  agony.  The  captain  ordered  the  men  who  held 
the  arms  of  the  sufferer  to  "  hold  on,"  and  jumped  in  the 
chain-wale  himself  to  assist  them.  By  main  strength  the 
poor  fellow  was  dragged  fainting  on  board ;  but  his  foot 
was  torn  off,  together  with  a  portion  of  the  integuments 
of  the  leg,  and  the  bones  were  dreadfully  crushed.  He 
lived  in  agony  a  few  days,  when  he  expired. 

Incidents  of  this  nature  will  satisfactorily  account  for 
the  hatred  which  a  sailor  bears  towards  a  shark. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

LAND,     HO  ! 

Ox  the  day  succeeding  the  capture  of  the  shark  a  fine 
breeze  sprung  up.  Once  more  the  white  foam  appeared 
beneath  the  bows,  as  the  old  brig  plunged,  and  rolled,  and 
wriggled  along  on  her  way  towards  Demarara.  With  a 
strong  breeze  on  the  quarter,  it  required  not  only  labor, 
but  skill,  to  steer  the  interesting  craft.  One  of  the  "  old 
salts,"  having  been  rebuked  by  the  captain  for  steering 
wildly,  declared,  in  a  grave  but  respectful  tone,  that  he 

4* 


42  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

could  steer  as  good  a  trick  at  the  helm  as  any  man  who 
ever  handled  a  marlinspike  ;  but  he  "  verily  believed  the 
old  critter  knew  as  much  as  a  Christian,  and  was  obsti- 
nately determined  to  turn  round  and  take  a  look  at  her 
starn ! " 

The  regular  "  trade  wind "  now  commenced,  and  there 
was  a  prospect,  although  still  a  distant  one,  of  ultimately 
reaching  the  port  to  which  we  were  bound.  The  trade 
winds  blow  almost  constantly  from  one  direction,  and 
prevail  in  most  parts  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans, 
between  the  latitudes  of  twenty-eight  "degrees  north  and 
twenty-eight  degrees  south.  In  northern  latitudes  the 
trade  wind  blows  from  north-east,  or  varies  but  a  few 
points  from  that  direction.  South  of  the  equator  it 
blows  constantly  from  the  south-east;  and  the  "south- 
east trade  "  is  more  steady  than  the  trade  wind  north  of 
the  line. 

It  often  happens  that  vessels  bound  to  the  United 
States  from  India,  after  passing  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
steer  a  course  nearly  north-west,  carrying  studding-sails 
on  both  sides,  uninterruptedly,  through  fifteen  or  twenty 
degrees  of  latitude. 

The  cause  of  the  trade  winds  is  supposed  to  be  the 
joint  influence  of  the  higher  temperature  of  the  torrid 
zone  and  the  rotation  of  the  earth  on  its  axis.  On  the 
equator,  and  extending  sometimes  a  few  degrees  on  either 
side,  is  a  tract  where  light  easterly  winds,  calms,  and 
squalls,  with  thunder,  lightning,  and  inundating  rains, 
prevail. 

From  what  I  have  said,  it  will  be  seen  that  vessels 
bound  from  the  American  coast  to  the  West  Indies  or 
Guiana  should  steer  to  the  eastward  in  the  early  part  of 
their  passage,  while  they  have  the  advantage  of  variable 
winds.  And  this  precaution  is  the  more  important,  as 
these  vessels,  being  generally  dull  sailers  and  deeply 
laden,  will  fail  to  reach  their  port  if  they  fall  to  leeward, 


LAND,    HO!  43 

unless  by  returning  north  into  the  latitude  of  the  vari- 
able winds,  and  making  another  trial,  with  the  benefit  of 
more  experience. 

In  those  days  there  were  no  chronometers  in  use,  and 
but  few  of  our  West  India  captains  were  in  possession 
of  a  sextant,  or  indeed  able  to  work  a  lunar  observation. 
The  latitude  was  accurately  determined  every  day  by 
measuring  the  altitude  of  the  sun  as  it  passed  the  me- 
ridian. To  ascertain  the  longitude  was  a  more  difficult 
matter.  They  were  obliged  to  rely  mainly  on  their  dead 
reckoning;  that  is,  to  make  a  calculation  of  the  course 

O  *  ' 

and  distance  run  daily,  from  the  points  steered  by  the 
compass  and  the  rate  as  indicated  by  the  log-line  and 
half-minute  glass.  A  reckoning  on  such  a  basis,  where 
unknown  currents  prevail,  where  a  vessel  is  steered 
wildly,  or  where  the  rate  of  sailing  may  be  inaccurately 
recorded,  is  liable  to  many  errors;  therefore  it  was  cus- 
tomary with  all  prudent  masters,  in  those  days,  especially 
if  they  distrusted  their  own  skill  or  judgment  in  keeping 
a  reckoning,  to  keep  wett  to  the  eastward.  This  was  a 
general  rule,  and  looked  upon  as  the  key  to  West  India 
navigation.  Sometimes  a  vessel  bound  to  the  Wind- 
ward Islands,  after  reaching  the  latitude  of  her  des- 
tined port,  found  it  necessary  to  "run  down,"  steering 
due  west,  a  week  or  ten  days  before  making  the  land. 
An  incident  occurred  in  those  waters,  a  few  weeks  after 
we  passed  over  them,  which  will  illustrate  this  mode  of 
navigation,  and  the  consequences  that  sometimes  attend 
it.  A  large  brig  belonging  to  an  eastern  port,  and  com- 
manded by  a  worthy  and  cautious  man,  was  bound  to 
St.  Pierre  in  Martinico.  The  latitude  of  that  island  was 
reached  in  due  time,  but  the  island  could  not  be  seen,  the 
captain  having  steered  well  to  the  eastward.  The  brig 
was  put  before  the  wind,  and  while  daylight  lasted  every 
stitch  of  canvas  was  spread,  and  every  eye  was  strained 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  high  land  which  was  expected 


44  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

to  loom  up  in  the  western  horizon.  This  proceeding  con- 
tinued for  several  days ;  the  brig  carrying  a  press  of  sail 
by  day,  and  lying  to  by  night,  until  patience  seemed  no 
longer  a  virtue.  The  worthy  captain  began  to  fear  he 
had  not  steered  far  enough  to  the  eastward,  but  had  been 
carried  by  unknown  currents  to  leeward  of  his  port,  and 
that  the  first  land  he  should  make  might  prove  to  be  the 
Musquito  coast  on  the  continent.  He  felt  anxious,  and 
looked  in  vain  for  a  vessel  from  which  he  could  obtain  a 
hint  in  regard  to  his  true  position.  Neither  land  nor  ves- 
sel could  he  meet  with. 

At  the  close  of  the  fifth  day  after  he  had  commenced 
"  running  down,"  no  land,  at  sunset,  was  in  sight  from  the 
top-gallant  yard ;  and  at  eight  o'clock  the  brig  was  again 
hove  to.  The  captain  declared  with  emphasis,  that  unless 
he  should  make  the  island  of  Martinico  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  he  would  adopt  some  different  measures.  The 
nature  of  those  measures,  however,  he  never  was  called 
upon  to  explain.  In  the  morning,  just  as  the  gray  light 
of  dawn  was  visible  in  the  east,  while  a  dark  cloud 
seemed  to  hang  over  the  western  horizon,  all  sail  was 
again  packed  on  the  brig.  A  fresh  breeze  which  sprung 
up  during  the  night  gave  the  captain  assurance  that  his 
passage  would  soon  be  terminated ;  and  terminated  it 
was,  but  in  a  manner  he  hardly  anticipated,  and  which 
he  certainly  had  not  desired.  The  brig  had  not  been 
fifteen  minutes  under  way  when  the  dreadful  sound  of 
breakers  was  heard — a  sound  which  strikes  dismay  to  a 
sailor's  heart.  The  dark  cloud  in  the  west  proved  to  be 
the  mountains  of  Martinico,  and  the  brig  was  dashed 
upon  the  shore.  The  vessel  and  cargo  were  lost,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  the  crew  were  saved. 

Captain  Tilton,  however,  was  a  good  navigator.  He 
had  been  a  European  trader,  understood  and  practised 
"lunar  observations,"  and  always  knew  with  sufficient 
accuracy  the  position  of  the  brig. 


LAND,    HO  !  45 

Few  things  surprised  me  more  on  my  first  voyage  to 
sea  than  the  sudden  and  mysterious  manner  in  which  the 
coverings  of  the  head  were  spirited  away  from  the  decks 
of  the  Dolphin.  Hats,  caps,  and  even  the  temporary 
apologies  for  such  articles  of  costume,  were  given  un- 
wittingly and  most  unwillingly  to  the  waves.  A  sudden 
flaw  of  wind,  the  flap  of  a  sail,  an  involuntary  jerk  of  the 
head,  often  elicited  an  exclamation  of  anger  or  a  torrent 
of  invectives  from  some  unfortunate  being  who  had  been 
cruelly  rendered  bareheaded,  attended  with  a  burst  of 
laughter  from  unsympathizing  shipmates. 

The  inimitable  Dickens,  in  his  best  production,  says, 
with  all  the  shrewdness  and  point  of  a  practical  philos- 
opher, "  There  are  very  few  moments  in  a  man's  existence 
when  he  experiences  so  much  ludicrous  distress,  or  meets 
with  so  little  commiseration,  as  when  he  is  in  pursuit 
of  his  own  hat."  But,  unfortunately,  on  shipboard,  if  a 
man's  hat  is  taken  off  by  the  wind,  he  cannot  chase  it 
and  recover  it ;  nor  is  it  swept  from  his  sight  into  the 
depths  of  the  sea.  On  looking  astern,  he  will  see  it  grace- 
fully and  sportively  riding  on  the  billows,  as  if  uncon- 
scious of  any  impropriety,  reckless  of  the  inconvenience 
which  such  desertion  may  cause  its  rightful  proprietor, 
and  an  object  of  wonder,  it  may  be,  to  the  scaly  inhab- 
itants of  old  Neptune's  dominions. 

Before  we  reached  Demarara  every  hat  and  cap  belong- 
ing to  the  ship's  company,  with  a  single  exception,  had 
been  involuntarily  given,  as  a  propitiatory  offering,  to  the 
god  of  Ocean.  This  exception  was  a  beaver  hat  belong- 
ing to  the  captain ;  and  this  would  have  followed  its 
leaders,  had  it  not  been  kept  in  a  case  hermetically 
sealed.  After  the  captain's  stock  of  sea-going  hats  and 
caps  had  disappeared  he  wore  around  his  head  a  ker- 
chief, twisted  fancifully,  like  a  turban.  Others  followed 
his  example,  while  some  fashioned  for  themselves  skull- 
caps of  fantastic  shapes  from  pieces  of  old  canvas  ',  so 


46  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

that  when  we  reached  Demarara  we  looked  more  like 
a  ship's  company  of  Mediterranean  pirates  than  honest 
Christians. 

I  became  accustomed  to  a  sea  life,  and  each  succeed- 
ing day  brought  with  it  some  novelty  to  wonder  at  or 
admire.  The  sea  is  truly  beautiful,  and  has  many  charms, 
notwithstanding  a  fresh-water  poet,  affecting  to  be  dis- 
gusted with  its  monotony,  has  ill  naturedly  vented  his 
spleen  by  describing  the  vanities  of  a  sea  life  in  two  short 
lines : 

"  Where  sometimes  you  ship  a  sea, 
And  sometimes  see  a  ship." 

Yet,  in  spite  of  its  attractions,  there  are  few  persons, 
other  than  a  young  enthusiast  on  his  first  voyage,  who, 
after  passing  several  weeks  on  the  ocean,  are  not  ready 
to  greet  with  gladness  the  sight  of  land,  although  it  may 
be  a  desolate  shore  or  a  barren  island.  Its  very  aspect 
fills  the  heart  with  joy,  and  excites  feelings  of  gratitude 
to  Him,  whose  protecting  hand  has  led  you  safely  through 
the  dangers  to  which  those  who  frequent  the  waste  of 
waters  are  exposed 

The  gratification  of  every  man  on  board  the  Dolphin 
may  therefore  be  conceived,  when,  after  a  passage  of 
fifty-three  days,  in  a  very  uncomfortable  and  leaky  vessel, 
a  man.  sent  one  morning  by  the  captain  to  the  fore-top- 
gallant yard,  after  taking  a  bird'seye  view  from  his 
elevated  position,  called  out,  in  a  triumphant  voice, 
LAND,  Ho ! 

The   coast  of  Guiana  Avas   in   sight. 

Guiana  is  an  extensive  tract  of  country,  extending 
along  the  sea  coast  from  the  Orinoco  to  the  Amazon. 
When  discovered,  in  1504,  it  was  inhabited  by  the  Ca- 
ribs.  Settlements,  however,  were  soon  made  on  the 
shore  by  the  Dutch,  the  French,  and  the  Portuguese; 
and  the  country  was  divided  into  several  provinces.  It 
was  called  by  the  discoverers  "  the  wild  coast,"  and  is 


LAXD,    HO!  4T 

accessible  only  by  the  mouths  of  its  rivet's — the  shores 
being  every  where  lined  with  dangerous  banks,  or  cov- 
ered with  impenetrable  forests.  Its  appearance  from 
the  sea  is  singularly  wild  and  uncultivated,  and  it  is  so 
low  and  flat  that,  as  it  is  approached,  the  trees  along 
the  beach  are  the  first  objects  visible.  The  soil,  how- 
ever, is  fertile,  and  adapted  to  every  variety  of  tropical 
production, — sugar,  rum,  molasses,  coffee,  and  cacao  being 
it>  >tuple  commodities. 

To  the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles  from  tho  sea 
coast  the  land  continues  level,  and  in  the  rainy  season 
some  districts  are  covered  with  water.  Indeed,  the 
whole  country  bordering  on  the  coast  is  intersected 
with  swamps,  marshes,  rivers,  artificial  canals,  and  ex- 
tensive intervals.  This  renders  it  unhealthy ;  and  many 
natives  of  a  more  genial  clime  have  perished  in  the 
provinces  of  Guiana  by  pestilential  fevers. 

These  marshes  and  forests  are  nurseries  of  reptiles. 
Alligators  of  immense  size  are  found  in  the  rivers,  creeks, 
and  pools,  and  serpents  are  met  with  on  the  swampy 
banks  of  the  rivers,  as  large  as  the  main-topmast  of  a 
merchant  ship,  and  much  larger!  The  serpents  being 
amphibious,  often  take  to  the  water,  and  being  driven 
unconsciously  down  the  rivers  by  the  currents,  have 
been  fallen  in  with  on  the  coast  several  miles  from  thD 
land. 

An  incident  took  place  on  this  coast  in  1841,  on  board 
the  bark  Jane,  of  Boston,  Captain  Nickerson,  which 
created  quite  a  sensation  on  the  decks  of  that  vessel. 
The  bark  was  ready  for  sea,  and  had  anchored  in  the 
afternoon  outside  the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Suri- 
nam River,  when  the  crew  turned  in  and  the  watch 
was  set  that  night.  The  bark  was  a  well-conditioned, 
orderly  vessel,  harboring  no  strangers,  interlopers,  or 
vagrants  of  any  description. 

The   next   morning,   soon    after    daybreak,    the   mate 


48  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

put  his  hand  into  an  open  locker,  at  a  corner  of  the 
round-house,  for  a  piece  of  canvas,  when  it  came  in 
contact  with  a  soft,  clammy  substance,  which,  to  his 
consternation  and  horror,  began  to  move!  He  drew 
back,  uttering  an  exclamation,  in  a  voice  so  loud  and 
startling  as  to  alarm  the  captain  and  all  hands,  who 
hastened  on  deck  in  time  to  see  an  enormous  serpent 
crawl  sluggishly  out  of  the  closet,  and  stretch  himself 
along  the  deck,  with  as  much  coolness  and  impudence 
as  if  he  thought  he  really  belonged  to  the  brig,  and  with 
the  monkeys  and  parrots,  constituted  a  portion  of  the 
ship's  company ! 

Not  so  thought  Captain  Nickerson  and  the  brave  men 
with  him.  The  word  was  passed  along  —  "There  is  a 
snake  on  board,  as  long  as  the  main-top  bowline !  Kill 
him,  kill  him  ! " 

The  sailors  seized  handspikes,  the  cook  flourished  his 
tormentors,  the  mate  wielded  an  axe,  and  the  captain 
grasped  a  pistol !  Thus  equipped  and  armed,  they  rushed 
to  the  encounter! 

The  reptile  found  himself  among  foes  instead  of 
friends.  Where  he  looked  for  hospitality  and  kind  treat- 
ment he  found  cruelty,  oppression,  and  even  murder! 
He  saw  it  was  useless  to  contend  against  his  fate  when 
the  odds  were  so  decidedly  against  him,  and  wisely 
made  no  resistance.  He  was  stabbed  by  the  cook, 
cudgelled  by  the  crew,  brained  by  the  mate,  and  shot 
by  the  captain.  And,  adding  insult  to  injury,  he  w;is 
stripped  of  his  skin,  which  was  beautifully  variegated 
and  measured  fourteen  feet  in  length,  and  brought  to 
Boston,  where  it  was  examined  and  admired  by  many 
of  the  citizens. 

This  snake  was  doubtless  an  aboma,  a  species  of  ser- 
pent of  large  size  and  great  beauty,  which  is  not  ven- 
omous. In  attempting  to  cross  the  river,  it  had  probably 
been  drifted  down  with  the  current,  and  carried  out  to 


LAND,   HO!  49 

sea.  It  might  have  been  swimming  about  in  the  waters 
for  some  time  without  finding  a  resting-place,  and,  hav- 
ing fallen  in  "with  a  vessel  at  anchor,  thought  no  harm 
would  accrue  to  itself  or  others  if  it  should  silently 
glide  on  board  through  the  rudder-hole,  and  take  up  its 
residence  for  the  night.  But  Captain  Xickerson  enter- 
tained a  different  opinion.  He  looked  upon  "his  snake- 
ship  "  as  an  "  ugly  customer,"  and  gave  him  a  reception 
as  such. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  on  which  land  was  discov- 
ered we  reached  the  mouth  of  Demarara  River,  and 
received  a  pilot  on  board,  and  a  queer-looking  fellow, 
for  a  pilot  I  thought  him.  He  was  a  negro,  with  a 
skin  dark  as  ebony,  which  shone  with  an  exquisite  pol- 
ish. His  costume  was  simplicity  itself — consisting  of 
an  old  straw  hat,  and  a  piece  of  coaree  "  osnaburg  "  tied 
around  the  waist !  But  he  was  active  and  intelligent, 
notwithstanding  his  costume  and  color,  and  carried  the 
brig  over  the  bar  in  safety.  Soon  after  twilight  the 
Dolphin  was  snugly  anchored  in  smooth  water  in  the 
river  opposite  the  capital  of  the  province. 

The  next  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  I  went  on  deck, 
anxious  to  scrutinize  the  surrounding  objects*.  The 
river  was  about  a  mile  and  a  half  wide,  the  tide  flowed 
with  great  rapidity,  and  the  waters  were  turbid  in  the 
extreme.  The  shores  were  lined  with  trees  and  shrul», 
presenting  nothing  of  an  attractive  character.  A  num- 
ber of  vessels,  chiefly  English  and  American,  were  moored 
in  the  river,  engaged  in  taking  in  or  discharging  cargoes  ; 
and  sundry  small  schooners,  called  "droghers,"  manned 
by  blacks,  nearly  naked,  were  sailing  up  or  down  the 
river,  laden  with  produce. 

The  town,  half  concealed  in  the  low,  swampy  grounds, 
appeared  insignificant  and  mean,  and  the  wharves  and 
landing  places  at  the  river's  side  were  neither  picturesque 
nor  beautiful.  The  architecture  of  the  houses,  however, 

5 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

with  porticoes,  verandas,  and  terraces,  excited  my  admi- 
ration. I  also  saw,  in  the  distance,  palm  and  cocoanut 
trees,  and  banana  and  plantain  shrubs,  with  leaves  six: 
or  eight  feet  long.  These  various  objects,  with  the  sul- 
try stagnation  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  light  and  airy 
costume  of  those  of  the  inhabitants  I  had  seen,  convinced 
me  that  I  was  not  laboring  under  a  dream,  but  was  ac- 
tually in  a  foreign  port,  two  thousand  miles  from  home, 
and  in  a  tropical  climate. 

The  following  day  being  Sunday,  I  accompanied  Mr. 
Thompson  on  a  visit  to  the  market,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
supply  of  fresh  provisions  and  vegetables.  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  public  market  open  on  the  Sabbath. 
The  very  idea  of  such  a  custom  conflicted  with  my  pre- 
conceived notions  of  propriety  and  religion.  But  Sun- 
day was  a  great  holiday  in  Demarara —  indeed  the  only 
day  which  the  slaves  on  the  plantations  could  call  their 
own.  On  Sunday  they  were  allowed  to  visit  each  other, 
frolic  as  they  pleased,  cultivate  their  little  gardens, 
make  their  purchases  at  the  shops  which  were  open 
on  that  day,  and  carry  their  produce  to  market. 

Hence  the  spacious  market  square,  in  the  midst  of 
the  town,  was  covered  with  articles  of  traffic.  The 
venders  were  chiefly  negro  women,  who  exposed  for 
sale  immense  quantities  of  yams,  tomatoes,  cassava 
bread,  sugar-cane,  plantains,  Avater-cresses,  oranges,  ba- 
nanas, avocado  pears,  &c.,  with  fancy  articles  of  almost 
every  description. 

The  scene  was  a  novel  and  interesting  one.  The  mar- 
ket women  were  habited  in  garments  of  a  marvellously 
scanty  pattern,  better  adapted  to  the  sultry  character 
of  the  climate  than  to  the  notions  of  delicacy  which 
prevail  among  civilized  people  in  a  more  northern  clime. 
The  head-dress  consisted,  in  almost  every  instance,  of 
a  calico  kerchief,  of  gaudy  colors,  fantastically  wreathed 
around  the  head.  They  were  respectful  in  their  deport- 


LAND,    HO 


ment,  exhibited  their  wares  to  the  best  advantage,  and 
with  cheerful  countenances  and  occasional  jokes,  ac- 
companied with  peals  of  merry  laughter,  seemed  hap- 
pier than  millionnaires  or  kings!  Their  dialect  was  a 
strange  jumble  of  Dutch,  English,  and  African.  All  were 
fond  of  talking,  and,  like  aspiring  politicians  in  happy  New 
England,  neglected  no  chance  to  display  their  extraor- 
dinary power  of  language.  And  such  a  jabbering,  such 
a  confusion  of  tongues,  as  I  listened  to  that  Sunday 
morning  in  the  market-place  of  Demarara,  overwhelmed 
me  witli  wonder,  and  days  elapsed  before  I  could  get 
the  buzz  out  of  my  head ! 

In  answer  to  inquiries  relative  to  the  health  of  the 
place,  it  was  gratifying  to  learn  that  the  province  had 
not  been  so  free  from  yellow  fever  at  that  season  for 
several  years.  While  the  Dolphin  remained  in  port 
but  few  fatal  cases  occurred  in  the  harbor,  and  the 
origin  of  those  could  be  traced  to  intemperance  or  other 
imprudent  conduct.  There  was  no  serious  sickness  on 
board  the  brig  while  we  remained,  and  only  one  "  regu- 
lar drunken  scrape."  This  occurred  a  few  days  after 
we  arrived  in  port.  Two  of  the  crew,  on  some  plausible 
pretext,  one  afternoon  obtained  leave  of  Mr.  Thompson 
to  go  on  shore.  He  cautioned  them  to  keep  sober,  and 
be  early  on  board,  and  they  solemnly  promised  to  com- 
ply with  his  instructions. 

But  these  "noble  old  tars"  had  no  sooner  set  their 
feet  upon  the  land  than  they  rushed  to  a  grog  shop. 
It  is  well  known  that  grog  shops  are  found  in  abundance 
in  all  parts  of  the  world  where  civilization  extends  its 
genial  influence.  Temptations  of  the  most  alluring  char- 
acter are  every  where  offered  to  weak-minded  and  unprin- 
cipled men  to  abandon  the  prerogative  of  reason  and 
become  brutes.  In  exchange  for  their  money,  these  sail- 
ors procured  the  means  of  becoming  drunk  !  They  quar- 
relled with  the  shopkeeper,  insulted  his  customers,  were 


52  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

severely  threshed  for  their  brutality  and  insolence,  and 
were  finally  picked  up  in  the  street,  and  brought  on  board 
by  two  of  the  crew  of  an  American  vessel  which  was 
moored  near  the  Dolphin. 

They  looked  wretchedly  enough.  Their  clothes,  which 
were  neat  and  ti'im  when  they  went  ashore,  were  mostly 
torn  from  their  backs,  their  faces  were  bruised  and 
bloody,  and  their  eyes  surrounded  by  livid  circles. 
Their  shipmates,  seeing  their  degraded  condition,  as- 
sisted them  on  board,  and  persuaded  them  to  go  into 
the  forecastle,  which  was  now  appropriated  to  the  accom- 
modation of  the  ship's  company.  But  instead  of  retiring 
to  their  berths,  and  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  their  liquor, 
these  men  determined  to  have  a  row. 

The  craziest  of  them  made  his  way  on  deck,  and  began 
to  sing,  and  dance,  and  halloo  like  a  madman.  One  of 
his  shipmates,  named  Wilkins,  remonstrated  against  such 
unruly  conduct,  and  received  in  return  a  blow  on  the  side 
of  the  head,  which  sent  him  with  great  force  against  the 
gunwale.  The  peacemaker,  indignant  at  such  unexpected 
and  undeserved  treatment,  returned  the  blow  with  inter- 
est. The  other  inebriate,  hearing  the  disturbance,  came 
to  the  assistance  of  his  drunken  companion.  A  general 
fight  ensued ;  some  heavy  blows  were  interchanged,  and 
for  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  scene  of  confusion,  pro- 
fanity, and  hard  fighting  on  the  decks  of  the  Dolphin, 
which  showed  me  a  new,  and  not  very  attractive  phase  in 
the  sailor's  character. 

Mr.  Thompson,  armed  with  authority  and  a  heaver, 
soon  made  his  appearance  among  them,  and  with  the  as- 
sistance of  the  sober  ones,  after  a  severe  struggle,  succeed- 
ed in  mastering  and  pinioning  the  two  men,  who,  though 
in  full  possession  of  their  physical  faculties,  were  actually 
crazed  with  alcoholic  drinks.  When  thus  rendered 
harmless,  their  yells  were  terrific,  until  it  was  found  neces- 
sary for  the  peace  of  the  harbor  to  gag  them  ;  which  was 


LAND,   HO!  53 

done  by  gently  placing  an  iron  pump-bolt  between  the 
jaws  of  each  of  the  maniacs,  and  fastening  it  by  a  rope- 
yarn  behind  the  ear.  Thus,  unable  to  give  utterance  to 
their  feelings,  and  exhausted  by  fruitless  struggles,  they 
fell  asleep. 

In  the  morning  cool  reflection  came.  They  looked  as 
ruefully  as  Don  Quixote  after  his  battle  with  the  shepherds, 
and  bore  as  many  marks  of  the  prowess  of  their  opponents. 
But,  unlike  "  the  Knight  of  the  Rueful  Countenance ," 
they  seemed  heartily  ashamed  of  their  exploits,  and  prom- 
ised better  behavior  in  future. 

Nevertheless,  a  few  days  after  this  affair,  Jim  Bilton, 
one  of  the  men  who  had  figured  so  conspicuously  in  the 
row,  and  owed  Wilkins  a  grudge  for  the  black  eye  he  had 
received  in  the  melee^  challenged  his  shipmate  to  a  "  fair 
stand-up  fight ! " 

The  challenge  was  accepted;  but  as  the  main  deck  of 
the  brig  was  still  "  lumbered  up,"  and  the  forecastle  fur- 
nished a  field  altogether  too  confined  for  such  recreations, 
it  was  agreed  that  this  "  stand-up  fight "  should  take  place 
while  each  of  the  combatants  were  sitting  astride  a  chest ! 
Accordingly  a  large  chest  was  roused  up  from  below,  and 
placed  athwart-ships  on  the  forecastle,  between  the  bow- 
sprit bitts  and  the  cathead.  The  parties  took  their  seats 
on  the  ends  of  the  chest,  facing  each  other,  and  the  busi- 
ness was  to  be  settled  by  hard  knocks. 

The  men  faced  each  other  boldly,  some  weighty  compli- 
ments were  interchanged,  when  Bilton,  to  avoid  a  favor 
from  his  antagonist  which  in  all  probability  would  have 
finished  him,  slipped  off  the  end  of  the  chest,  to  the  dis- 
gust of  his  shipmates  and  his  own  everlasting  disgrace. 

One  of  the  crew,  however,  who  was  ingenious  at  expedi- 
ents, and  determined  to  see  fair  play,  by  means  of  a  ham- 
mer and  a  tenpenny  nail  fastened  both  parties  firmly  to 
the  chest  by  the  seats  of  their  canvas  trousers.  There 
being  no  longer  a  possibility  of  backing  out,  the  battle  was 

5* 


54  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

resumed,  but  did  not  last  long ;  for  Bilton  soon  received  a 
blow  on  his  left  temple,  which,  in  spite  of  the  tenpenny 
nail,  knocked  him  off  the  chest,  and  decided  the  contest. 


CHAPTER   V. 

DEMAEAEA. 

A  CIRCUMSTANCE  occurred  not  long  before  our  arrival  at 
Demarara,  which,  being  somewhat  remarkable  in  its 
character,  furnished  a  fruitful  theme  for  conversation  and 
comment.  This  was  the  arrival  of  a  vessel  fr;om  Cadiz, 
with  only  one  person  on  board. 

It  seems  that  a  Captain  Shackford,  of  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.,  was  the  master  and  owner  of  a  sloop  of  some  sixty 
or  eighty  tons.  He  proceeded  to  Cadiz,  and  there  took  in 
a  cargo  for  Guiana.  When  on  the  eve  of  sailing,  his  crew, 
dissatisfied  with  some  of  his  proceedings,  left  the  vessel. 

Captain  Shackford,  a  resolute  but  eccentric  man,  re- 
solved not  to  be  disappointed  in  his  calculations,  or  de- 
layed in  his  voyage  by  the  desertion  of  his  crew,  and 
boldly  put  to  sea  on  the  day  appointed  for  sailing,  trusting 
in  his  own  unaided  efforts  and  energies  to  manage  the 
vessel  on  a  passage  across  the  ocean  of  thirty-five  hundred 
miles.  He  was  seventy-four  days  on  his  passage ;  but 
brought  his  vessel  into  port  in  tolerable  order,  having  ex- 
perienced no  difficulty  on  his  way,  and  losing  only  one  day 
of  his  reckoning. 

The  arrival  of  a  vessel  in  Demarara,  under  such  singular 
circumstances,  caused  quite  a  sensation  among  the  authori- 
ties, and  gave  rise  to  suspicions  by  no  means  favorable  to 
the  character  of  the  captain  as  an  honest  man,  and  which 
his  long,  tangled  locks  and  hirsute  countenance  —  for  he 


DEMARABA.  55 

had  not  combed  his  hair  or  shaved  his  face  during  the 

O 

passage —  tended  to  confirm.  It  was  thought  by  some 
that  a  mutiny  might  have  broken  out  among  the  crew  of 
the  sloop,  which  resulted  in  scenes  of  violence  and  blood- 
shed, and  that  this  wild-looking  man  was  the  only  survivor 
of  a  desperate  struggle  between  the  officers  and  crew. 
Indeed,  he  looked  not  unlike  a  mutineer  and  murderer. 

Captain  Shackford  was  indignant  at  these  suspicions, 
and  would  hardly  deign  to  give  explanations.  It  was 
fortunate  for  him  that  some  vessels  belonging  to  Ports- 
mouth were  in  the  harbor,  the  captains  of  which  recog- 
nized him  as  an  old  acquaintance,  and  vouched  for  his 
character  as  an  honest,  well-meaning  man,  although  at 
times  indulging  in  strange  freaks,  more  akin  to  madness 
than  method.  He  was  released  from  arrest,  and  subse- 
quently disposed  of  his  merchandise  at  remunerating 
prices,  and  with  a  cargo  of  assorted  articles,  and  a  crew, 
sailed  for  a  port  in  the  United  States. 

After  the  cargo  of  the  Dolphin  was  discharged,  prepa- 
rations were  made  for  receiving  a  return  cargo,  to  consist 
principally  of  molasses.  The  process  of  taking  in  and 
stowing  a  cargo  of  this  description  is  a  peculiar  one ;  and 
as  I  shall  recur  to  this  subject  hereafter,  I  avail  myself  of 
this  opportunity  to  describe,  briefly,  the  mode  of  operation. 

The  empty  casks  are  carefully  stowed  in  the  hold,  witli 
small  pieces  of  board  between  the  quarter-hoops  of  each 
cask,  so  that  the  bilge  of  a  cask  shall  touch  no  other  sub- 
stance whatever.  The  bungholes  must  also  be  upper- 
most ;  thus,  in  the  brief  but  expressive  language  of  com- 
merce, "  every  cask  must  be  bung  up  and  bilge  free."  A 
"molasses  hose"  is  then  procured,  consisting  of  a  half 
barrel  witli  a  hole  in  the  bottom,  to  which  is  attached  a 
leathern  hose  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  long 
enough  to  reach  to  the  most  distant  part  of  the  hold.  A 
hogshead  filled  with  molasses  is  then  hoisted  over  the 
hatchway,  bung  down,  and  the  hose-tub  is  placed  directly 


56  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

beneath ;  the  bung  is  taken  out,  and  the  molasses  passes 
through  the  hose  to  any  cask  in  the  hold  that  may  be 
wished.  When  the  cask  is  filled  the  hose  is  shifted  to 
another,  and  in  this  way  the  casks  are  all  filled  and  the 
cargo  stowed.  The  process  is  tedious ;  and  although  a 
sweet,  by  no  means  a  pleasant  one,  to  those  engaged  in  it. 

It  may  be  imagined  that  the  crew,  after  working  all 
day  among  molasses  in  that  hot  climate,  should  wish  to 
bathe  in  the  evening ;  and  the  river  alongside,  although 
the  element  was  neither  pure  nor  transparent,  offered,  at 
high  or  low  water,  a  tempting  opportunity.  To  the  very 
natural  and  proper  inquiry  whether  the  harbor  of  Dema- 
rara  was  infested  with  sharks  —  a  man-eating  shark  not 
being  the  most  desirable  "  companion  of  the  bath  "  —  we 
were  told  that  a  shark  had  never  been  seen  in  the  harbor ; 
that  the  river  water,  being  turbid  and  fresher  than  the 
ocean  water,  was  offensive  to  that  much  dreaded  animal, 
which  delights  in  the  clear  waters  of  the  salt  sea.  We 
were  further  told  that  up  the  river,  in  the  creeks  and  pools 
which  abound  in  that  region,  alligators  were  met  with 
in  large  numbers ;  some  of  them  of  large  size,  and  had 
been  known  to  attack  a  man  in  the  water;  but  they 
never  ventured  down  the  river  among  the  shipping. 

The  reports  being  thus  favorable,  the  crew  of  the  Dol- 
phin, being  good  swimmers,  were  induced,  whenever  it 
was  "  slack  water "  of  an  evening,  to  take  a  swim  in  the 
river ;  and  the  crews  of  other  American  vessels  followed 
the  example.  One  evening,  at  twilight,  there  were  swim- 
ming about  and  sporting  in  the  water,  deriving  the  highest 
enjoyment  from  this  healthy  and  refreshing  exercise,  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  American  sailors.  On  the  following  day 
an  incident  occurred,  which  operated  as  an  impressive 
warning  against  bathing  in  the  waters  of  the  Demarara. 

On  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  a  sailor  at  work  on  the 
mizzen-topsail  yard  of  an  English  ship,  moored  within  the 
distance  of  a  cable's  length  from  the  Dolphin,  accidentally 


DEMARARA.  57 

fell  from  the  yard.  As  he  fell  he  caught  hold  of  the  main 
brace,  and  was  suspended  for  a  minute  over  the  water. 
There  was  quite  a  commotion  on  the  deck  of  the  ship, 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  the  crews  of  neighboring 
vessels.  On  hearing  the  distressing  cry  of  the  man,  and 
witnessing  the  tumult  on  board  the  ship,  the  crew  of  the 
Dolphin  ran  to  the  side  of  the  brig  and  gazed  with  inter- 
est on  the  scene. 

The  poor  fellow  was  unable  to  retain  his  hold  of  the 
rope  until  he  could  receive  assistance.  He  fell  into  the 
water  alongside,  but  rose  to  the  surface  almost  immediate- 
ly, and  being,  apparently,  a  good  swimmer,  struck  out 
vigorously  towards  the  ship.  Some  of  his  shipmates 
jumped  into  the  boat  to  pick  him  up,  as,  notwithstanding 
his  exertions,  he  was  swept  away  by  the  tide  ;  but  none  of 
the  lookers-on  apprehended  any  danger. 

While  we  were  intently  watching  the  result,  the  un- 
fortunate man  gave  a  shrill  and  piercing  shriek ;  and  we 
then  saw  by  the  commotion  in  the  water,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  a  large  fin  above  the  surface,  that  a  shark  had 
seized  the  unlucky  sailor,  which  caused  him  to  give  utter- 
ance to  that  dreadful  cry.  He  immediately  sank  with  his 
prey,  and  the  muddy  state  of  the  water  prevented  the 
ruthless  monster  or  his  victim  from  being  seen. 

We  were  still  gazing  on  the  spot  where  this  fearful 
tragedy  was  enacted,  transfixed  and  mute  with  horror, 
when  the  shark  again  rose  to  the  surface,  bearing  in  his 
jaws  the  lifeless  body  of  the  English  sailor;  and  fora 
brief  period  we  beheld  the  voracious  fish  devouring  his 
human  food. 

The  cargo  of  the  Dolphin  being  completed,  there  ensued 
the  usual  bustle  and  confusion  in  making  preparations  for 
sea.  Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season,  Captain  Tilton 
was  unwilling  to  encounter  the  storms  of  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  in  a  vessel  hardly  seaworthy,  and  expressed 
an  intention  to  proceed  to  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina. 


58  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

About  a  week  before  we  left  Demarara  a  small  English 
brig-of-war  arrived  in  the  harbor,  causing  much  consterna- 
tion among  the  sailors,  and  not  without  reason.  The  brig 
was  deficient  in  her  complement  of  men,  and  this  defi- 
ciency was  supplied  by  impressment  from  crews  of  British 
vessels  in  port.  The  commander  was  a  young  man,  who, 
in  common  with  most  of  the  British  naval  officers  of  that 
day,  had  an  exalted  opinion  of  his  dignity  and  impor- 
tance, and  held  the  Yankees  in  contempt. 

The  pennant  at  the  main  is  a  distinguishing  mark  of  a 
man-of-war,  and  it  was  considered  disrespectful  on  the 
part  of  the  master  of  a  merchant  vessel  to  wear  a  pennant 
in  the  presence  of  a  cruiser.  But  on  the  Sunday  follow- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  gun  brig  the  captain  of  a  fine-look- 
ing American  brig,  who  did  not  entertain  that  respect  for 
John  Bull  which  the  representatives  of  that  dignitary 
were  disposed  to  exact,  hoisted  his  colors,  as  usual,  on  the 
Sabbath.  He  did  not  confine  his  display  of  bunting  to 
the  ensign  at  the  peak,  a  burgee  studded  with  stars  at  the 
fore,  and  a  jack  on  the  bowsprit,  but  ran  up  a  pennant  of 
most  preposterous  length  at  the  main,  which  proudly 
flaunted  in  the  breeze,  as  if  bidding  defiance  to  the  Eng- 
lishman. 

The  young  naval  commander  foolishly  allowed  himself 
to  be  annoyed  by  this  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the 
Yankee,  and  resolved  to  administer  an  appropriate  re- 
buke. He  sent  an  officer  alongside  the  American  brig, 
who,  in  a  peremptory  tone,  told  the  mate  to  cause  that 
Yankee  pennant  to  be  hauled  down  immediately. 

The  captain,  hearing  of  the  mandate,  made  his  appear- 
ance on  deck ;  and  on  a  repetition  of  the  order  from  the 
officer,  exhibited  unequivocal  symptoms  of  a  choleric 
temper.  After  letting  off  a  little  of  his  exuberant  wrath, 
he  declared  with  emphasis  that  he  had  a  right  to  wear  a 
pennant,  and  would  wear  it  in  spite  of  all  the  officers  in 
the  British  navy. 


DEMABABA.  59 

The  midshipman,  finding  it  of  no  avail  to  continue  the 
parley,  told  his  cockswain  to  go  aloft  and  "  dowse  the  pen- 
nant and  leave  it  in  the  cross-trees."  This  was  done,  re- 
gardless of  the  protest  of  the  captain,  and  his  threats  to 
lay  the  subject  before  the  government  and  make  it  a 
national  matter.  The  boat  had  hardly  reached  the  man- 
of-war,  when  the  pennant  was  again  flying  on  board  the 
American  brig,  and  seemed  to  wave  more  proudly  than 
before. 

The  man-of-war's  boat  was  sent  back,  and  some  sharp 
words  were  exchanged  between  the  British  officer  and  the 
Yankee  captain ;  but  the  former,  possessing  superior  physi- 
cal force,  was  triumphant.  The  pennant  was  again  hauled 
down,  but  this  time  it  was  not  left  in  the  cross-trees. 
The  cockswain  took  it  with  him  and  it  was  carried 
on  board  the  English  brig,  in  spite  of  the  denunciations 
hurled  against  men-of-war's  men,  in  which  the  epithets 
"thieves,"  "robbers,"  and  "pirates,"  were  distinctly  heard. 

A  few  nights  after  the  above-mentioned  occurrence  we 
received  an  unexpected  addition  to  the  number  of  our 
crew.  It  was  about  an  hour  after  midnight,  when  the 
man  who  had  the  watch  on  deck  was  comfortably  seated 
on  a  coil  of  rope  beneath  the  main  deck  awning,  and 
probably  dozing,  while  sheltered  from  a  heavy  and  pro- 
tracted shower  of  rain.  The  night  was  dark  and  gloomy; 
the  ebb  tide  made  a  moaning,  monotonous  noise  under 
the  bows,  and  rushed  swiftly  by  the  sides  of  the  vessel, 
leavin^  a  broad  wake  astern.  The  sailor  was  roused  from 

O 

his  comfortable  position  by  a  sound  resembling  the  cry 
of  a  person  in  distress.  He  started  to  his  feet,  and  stepped 
out  from  beneath  the  awning.  He  listened,  and  again  dis- 
tinctly heard  the  cry,  which  seemed  to  come  from  the 
water  under  the  bows.  Supposing  it  might  proceed  from 
some  person  who  had  fallen  overboard  and  wanted  help, 
he  went  forward  to  the  knight-heads,  and  called  out, 
"  Who's  there  ?  " 


60  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

A  voice  from  below  the  bowsprit  faintly  replied,  "  Ship- 
mate, for  God's  sake  bear  a  hand,  and  give  me  help.  I 
can  hold  on  but  a  few  minutes  longer." 

He  was  now  aware  that  a  man,  in  an  exhausted  con- 
dition, was  clinging  to  the  cable,  and  required  immediate 
assistance.  He  called  up  his  shipmates,  and  with  little 
difficulty  they  succeeded  in  hauling  him  safely  on  board. 
He  proved  to  be  a  fine-looking  English  sailor  ;  and  as  soon 
as  he  recovered  strength  enough  to  converse,  explained 
the  cause  of  his  perilous  situation. 

He  belonged  to  the  brig-of-war,  which  was  lying  at 
anchor  about  half  a  mile  above.  He  had  been  impressed 
two  years  before ;  and  being  treated  with  cruelty  and 
harshness,  had  been  eagerly  watching  an  opportunity  to 
escape  from  his  inhuman  bondage.  At  length  he  formed 
a  plan  with  one  of  his  messmates,  to  slip  overboard  quietly 
the  first  dark  night,  and  relying  on  skill  in  SAvimming,  at- 
tempt to  reach  some  vessel  at  anchor  in  the  harbor. 

The  plan  was  carried  into  effect.  They  succeeded  in 
eluding  the  vigilance  of  the  sentries,  dropped  gently  into  the 
water,  and  were  soon  floating  astern.  But  their  situation 
was  one  of  extreme  peril.  The  current  was  stronger  than 
they  anticipated,  and  the  darkness  of  the  night  prevented 
them  from  distinguishing  any  vessel  in  time  to  get  on 
board.  As  soon  as  they  were  swept  out  of  hearing  of  the 
man-of-war,  they  shouted  loudly  for  help;  but  the  mur- 
muring of  the  tide,  the  pattering  of  the  rain,  and  the 
howling  of  the  wind  prevented  their  voices  from  being 
heard,  as,  notwithstanding  their  exertions  to  stem  the 
tide,  they  floated  rapidly  down  the  river  towards  the 
bar. 

What  risks  will  a  man  encounter  to  secure  his  liberty! 
It  was  not  long  before  these  friends  separated,  never  to 
meet  again.  One  of  them  sank  beneath  the  waters.  The 
other  had  given  up  all  expectation  of  being  rescued,  when 
he  beheld  an  object,  darker  than  the  murky  atmosphere 


DEMAttARA.  61 

by  which  it  was  surrounded,  rising,  as  it  appeared  to  him, 
out  of  the  water.  His  heart  beat  quicker  within  his 
bosom.  In  a  moment  more  he  had  seized  the  cable  of 
the  Dolphin,  and  shouted  for  help. 

This  man  was  grateful  for  the  succor  he  had  received, 
and  expressed  a  wish  to  work  his  passage  to  the  United 
States.  To  this  suggestion  Captain  Tilton  offered  no 
objection ;  and  he  subsequently  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
best  men  on  board. 

That  very  morning  the  black  pilot  made  his  appearance, 
grinning  as  he  thrust  his  dark  muzzle  over  the  gunwale. 
He  was  greeted  with  answering  smiles,  for  we  were 
"  homeward  bound,"  and  all  hands  cheerfully  commenced 
heaving  up  the  anchor  and  making  sail.  With  a  favora- 
ble breeze  and  an  ebb  tide  we  soon  passed  the  bar,  and 
entered  upon  the  broad  ocean.  The  fresh  trade  wind 
was  welcome  after  sweltering  for  weeks  in  the  sultry  and 
unwholesome  atmosphere  of  Demarara ;  and  the  clear  and 
pellucid  waters  of  the  ocean  bore  a  cheerful  aspect,  con- 
trasted with  the  thick  and  opaque  waters  of  the  river  in 
which  we  had  remained  several  weeks  at  anchor. 

Nothing  remarkable  occurred  during  the  homeward 
passage,  until  we  reached  the  Gulf  Stream, — that  ex- 
traordinary current,  sixty  or  seventy  miles  in  width,  and 
many  degrees  warmer  than  the  ocean  water  on  either 
side,  and  which  reaches  from  the  Gulf  of  Florida  to  the 
Shoals  of  Xnntucket.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this 
current  of  the  Gulf  Stream  is  owing  to  the  trade  winds  in 
the  tropical  seas,  which,  blowing  at  all  times  from  the  east- 
ward, drive  a  large  body  of  water  towards  the  American 
continent.  Vessels  bound  to  India  invariably  meet  with 
a  strong  westerly  current  within  the  tropics,  and  particu- 
larly in  the  vicinity  of  the  equator.  This  volume  of  water 
is  thus  forced  along  the  shores  of  Brazil  and  Guiana,  until 
it  enters  the  Caribbean  Sea,  from  which  it  has  no  outlet 
excepting  through  the  strait  bounded  by  Cape  Catouche 

6 
' 


OZ  JACK    IN    THE    FOKECASTLE. 

in  Yucatan,  on  one  side,  and  Cape  St.  Antonio,  in  Cuba, 
on  the  other. 

Through  this  strait,  after  a  strong  trade  wind  has  been 
blowing  for  a  time,  the  current  sets  into  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  knots  an  hour.  Here 
the  waters  of  the  tropical  seas  are  mingled  writh  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  the  JBalize,  the  Rio  Grande,  the 
Colorado,  the  Alabama,  and  other  large  streams  which 
empty  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  turning  off  to  the 
eastward,  this  body  of  water  is  driven  along  between  the 
coasts  of  Cuba  and  Florida  until  it  strikes  the  Salt  Key 
Bank  and  the  Bahamas,  when  it  receives  another  consid- 
erable addition  from  the  currents,  which,  from  the  same 
causes,  are  continually  setting  wrest  through  the  Old  Ba- 
hama and  New  Providence  Channels.  It  is  then  forced 
northward  along  the  coast  of  Florida  and  the  Middle 
States.  The  stream  becomes  wider  as  it  extends  north, 
diminishes  its  velocity,  and  gradually  changes  its  tempera- 
ture, until  it  strikes  the  shoals  south  of  Nantucket  and 
the  Bank  of  St.  George,  when  it  branches  off  to  the  east- 
ward, washes  the  southern  edge  of  the  Bank  of  New- 
foundland, and  a  portion  of  it  is  lost  in  the  ocean  between 
the  Western  and  Canary  Islands ;  and  another  portion, 
sweeping  to  the  southward  past  the  Cape  de  Verdes,  is 
again  impelled  to  the  westward  across  the  Atlantic,  and 
performs  its  regular  round. 

The  current  always  moving  in  the  same  circuitous  track, 
forms,  according  to  Mr.  Maury,  to  whose  scientific  labors 
the  commercial  world  is  deeply  indebted,  an  immense 
whirlpool,  whose  circuit  embraces  the  whole  North  Atlan- 
tic Ocean.  In  the  centre  of  the  whirl  is  a  quiet  spot, 
equal  in  extent  of  area  to  the  whole  Mississippi  valley, 
unaffected  by  currents  of  any  kind.  And  here,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  the  greater  part  of  the  gulf-weed  and  other 
floating  materials,  which  are  carried  round  by  the  current, 
is  eventually  deposited.  This  is  the  "  Sargasso  Sea  "  of 


DEMARABA.  63 

the  ancients.  Columbus  crossed  this  "  weedy  sea "  on  his 
quest  after  a  western  passage  to  India.  And  the  singular 
appearance  of  the  ocean,  thickly  matted  over  with  gulf- 
wt'ed,  caused  great  alarm  among  his  companions,  who 
thought  they  had  reached  the  limits  of  navigation. 

A  current  of  a  character  similar  to  the  Gulf  Stream  — 
only  not  so  strong  —  is  experienced  along  the  east  coast 
of  Africa,  from  Mozambique  to  the  Lagullas  Bank,  off  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  This  current  is  undoubtedly  caused 
by  the  trade  wind  forcing  the  water  towards  the  coast  of 
Africa.  But  in  this  case  it  is  not  driven  into  a  narrow 
passage,  like  the  Gulf  of  Florida,  which  would  greatly 
increase  its  velocity.  The  temperature  of  the  water  in 
the  current  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  also  several 
degrees  higher  than  the  ocean  waters  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  current. 

On  the  afternoon  on  which  we  entered  the  Gulf  Stream 
the  wind  hauled  suddenly  to  the  eastward,  and  the  heav- 
ens were  obscured  by  clouds.  The  breeze  also  increased, 
and  the  sea  became  rough,  causing  the  brig  to  assume 
various  unseemly  attitudes,  and  perform  gymnastic  exer- 
cises wonderful  to  behold.  As  the  wind  increased  and 
the  sea  became  more  turbulent, the  Dolphin  tumbled  about 
like  an  elephant  dancing  a  hornpipe,  insomuch  that  it  was 
difficult  for  a  person  to  keep  his  perpendicular.  Indeed, 
as  I  was  passing  along  from  the  camboose  to  the  cabin, 
with  a  plate  of  toast  in  one  hand  and  a  teapot  in  the 
other,  the  brig  took  a  lee  lurch  without  giving  notice  of 
her  intention,  and  sent  me  with  tremendous  force  across 
the  deck,  to  leeward,  where  I  brought  up  against  the  rail. 
But  the  tea  and  toast  were  ejected  from  my  hands  into 
the  sea,  and  I  never  saw  them  more. 

At  twilight,  Captain  Tilton  came  on  deck,  and  looking 
around  the  horizon,  said,  addressing  the  mate,  u  Mr. 
Thompson,  the  weather  looks  greasy  to  windward ;  I  fear 


64  JACK    IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

a  gale  is  brewing.  You  may  furl  the  top-gallant  sail  and 
jib,  and  take  a  reef  in  the  mainsail." 

This  work  was  soon  accomplished.  The  captain's  pre- 
diction was  verified  ;  for  the  wind  continued  to  increase, 
accompanied  with  fine  drizzling  rain,  until  about  nine 
o'clock,  when  orders  were  given  to  take  another  reef  in 
the  mainsail,  and  double  reef  the  fore-topsail.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  wind  swept  across  the  waves  with  almost 
resistless  force,  when  it  was  found  necessary  to  strip  the 
brig  of  all  canvas,  excepting  a  storm  main-staysail  and 
close-reefed  fore-topsail ;  the  yards  were  braced  up,  the 
helm  lashed  a-lee,  and  the  brig  was  laid  to. 

The  gale  continued  unabated  all  night.  Our  vessel 
rolled  heavily  to  leeward,  and  strained  considerably,  her 
bulkheads  groaning  and  her  seams  opening,  making  it 
necessary  to  keep  one  of  the  pumps  in  constant  operation. 
As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  I  went  on  deck,  anxious  to  wit- 
ness a  spectacle  I  had  often  heard  described  —  a  gale  of 
wind  at  sea  —  and  it  was  a  sight  to  call  forth  my  wonder 
and  admiration.  The  wind,  blowing  furiously,  whistled 
wildly  among  the  rigging  ;  the  waves,  of  alarming  size 
and  threatening  appearance,  came  rushing  in  swift  suc- 
cession towards  us,  as  if  eager  to  overwhelm  our  puny 
bark,  which  nevertheless  floated  unharmed,  now  riding 
on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  and  anon  plunging  into  a  deep 
and  angry-looking  gulf,  taking  no  water  on  deck,  except- 
ing from  an  occasional  spray. 

I  asked  one  of  the  sailors,  who  had  just  taken  a  spell 
at  the  pump,  if  this  were  not  a  hurricane. 

"Hurricane!"  said  he,  with  a  good-natured  grin.  "Non- 
sense !  This  is  only  a  stiff  breeze.  'Tis  as  different  from 
a  hurricane  as  a  heaver  is  from  a  handspike.  When  you 
see  a  hurricane,  my  lad,  you  will  know  it,  even  if  the 
name  is  not  lettered  on  the  starn." 

"  Then  I  suppose  there  is  no  actual  danger  in  a  gale 
like  this,  although  it  does  not  look  very  inviting  ?  " 


DEMAUARA.  65 

"  Danger !  —  I  don't  know  about  that.  In  a  good  sea- 
worthy vessel  a  man  is  as  safe  in  a  gale  of  wind  as  if  he 
was  cooped  up  in  a  grog-selling  boarding  house  on  shore ; 
and  a  thousand  times  better  off  in  other  respects.  But 
tliis  miserable  old  craft  is  strained  in  every  timber,  and 
takes  in  more  water  through  the  seams  in  her  bottom 
than  *  the  combers '  toss  on  her  decks.  If  her  bottom 
does  not  drop  out  some  of  these  odd  times,  and  leave  us 
in  the  lurch,  we  may  think  ourselves  lucky." 

After  uttering  these  consolatory  remarks,  accompanied 
with  a  significant  shrug,  he  resumed  his  labors  at  the 
pump. 

The  wind  blew  with  violence  through  the  day,  and  the 
leak  kept  increasing.  There  is  probably  no  exercise  more 
fatiguing  than  "pumping  ship,"  as  practised  with  the 
clumsy,  awkward  contrivances  called  pumps,  which  were 
generally  in  use  among  the  merchant  vessels  of  those 
days.  It  being  necessary  to  keep  the  pumps  in  constant 
operation,  or  in  nautical  parlance,  "pump  or  sink,"  the 
crew,  although  a  hardy,  vigorous  set  of  men,  became 
exhausted  and  disheartened,  and,  to  my  astonishment 
and  disgust,  instead  of  manifesting  by  their  solemn  looks 
and  devout  demeanor  a  sense  of  the  danger  with  which 
they  were  threatened,  alternately  pumped,  grumbled,  and 
swore,  and  swore,  grumbled,  and  pumped. 

Change  is  incident  to  every  thing ;  and  even  a  gale  of 
wind  cannot  last  forever.  Before  night  the  tempest  was 
hushed,  the  waves  diminished,  and  in  a  few  hours  the 
brig  was  under  full  sail,  jogging  along  to  the  westward  at 
the  rate  of  six  or  seven  knots.  The  next  day  we  got 
soundings  on  the  coast  of  Carolina,  and,  with  a  fair  wind, 
rapidly  approached  the  land. 

Off  the  mouth  of  the  bay  which  forms  the  harbor  of 
Charleston  extends  a  long  line  of  shoals,  on  which  the 
breakers  are  continually  dashing.  These  shoals  are  in- 
tersected by  narrow  channels,  through  which  vessels  of 

6« 


Ob  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

moderate  draught  may  pass  at  high  water  with  a  smooth 
sea.  The  principal  channel,  or  main  passage,  for  ships 
over  the  bar  is  narrow,  and  never  attempted  without  a 
pilot.  About  three  miles  from  the  bar  is  the  lighthouse, 
which  stands  on  a  low,  sandy  shore.  Indeed,  the  whole 
coast  is  low  and  sandy,  abounding  in  mosquitoes,  sand- 
flies,  and  oysters.  Inside  the  bar  there  is  good  anchorage, 
but  the  tide  at  certain  periods  ebbs  and  flows  with  great 
velocity. 

We  crossed  the  bar,  and,  without  anchoring,  proceeded 
to  the  city.  We  passed  Sullivan's  Island  on  the  right,— 
a  long,  low,  sandy  island,  which  is  the  summer  residence 
of  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Charleston.  On  this  isl;md 
Fort  Moultrie  is  situated,  which  commands  the  passage 
to  the  city,  about  four  miles  distant.  This  foi't  proved  an 
awkward  obstacle  to  the  capture  of  Charleston,  when  that 
feat  was  rashly  attempted  by  Sir  Peter  Parker,  during  the 
revolutionary  war. 

On  all  the  surrounding  objects  I  gazed  with  a  deep 
and  intense  interest,  which  was  not  relaxed  until  the 
Dolphin  dropped  anchor  off  the  wharves  of  this  cele- 
brated city. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

SCENES    IN    CHARLESTON. 

SOON  after  the  Dolphin  arrived  in  Charleston  the  crew 
were  discharged,  with  the  exception  of  one  of  the  seamen 
and  myself.  We  retained  our  quarters  in  the  brig.  Mr. 
Thompson,  the  mate,  took  passage  in  a  vessel  for  Boston, 
and  not  long  afterwards  sailed  from  Portsmouth  in  com- 
mand of  a  ship.  Captain  Tilton  took  up  his  residence  at 
a  fashionable  boarding  house,  and  I  seldom  had  any  com- 


SCENES   IN   CHARLESTON.  G7 

munication  with  him.  I  supposed,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
that  he  would  soon  enter  on  another  voyage,  and  I  should 
go  with  him.  In  the  mean  time,  having  provided  me  with 
a  temporary  home,  he  left  me  to  associate  with  whom  I 
pleased,  and  struggle  single-handed  against  the  many 
temptations  to  which  a  young  sailor  in  a  strange  mari- 
time city  is  always  exposed. 

About  a  week  after  our  arrival  in  Charleston,  as  I  was 
passing  through  one  of  the  principal  streets,  clad  in  strict 
sailor  costume,  I  met  a  good-iooking  gentleman,  who,  to 
my  surprise,  accosted  me  with  great  politeness,  his  pleas- 
ant features  lighted  up  with  a  benevolent  smile,  and 
inquired  if  I  had  not  recently  returned  from  a  voyage  to 
sea.  Upon  being  assured  that  such  was  the  case,  he 
remarked  that  he  liked  my  appearance,  and  doubted  not 
I  was  a  smart,  capable  lad,  wrho  would  be  a  valuable 
acquisition  to  the  crew  of  a  good  ship.  I  was  flattered 
and  pleased  with  the  conduct  of  this  genteel  looking 
stranger,  —  convinced  that  he  was  a  person  of  good  judg- 
ment and  nice  discrimination.  He  further  informed  me, 
with  a  patronizing  air,  that  he  was  the  captain  of  a  fine 
fa.st-sailing  vessel,  bound  on  a  pleasant  voyage,  and  should 
be  delighted  to  number  among  his  crew  some  active  and 
intelligent  young  men,  like  myself.  He  even  went  so  far 
as  to  say  he  was  so  well  satisfied  with  my  appearance, 
that  if  I  would  accompany  him  to  a  counting-room  on 
an  adjoining  wharf,  he  would  ship  me  without  asking  fur- 
ther questions,  and  advance  a  month's  wages  on  the  spot. 
But  the  amount  he  offered  as  monthly  wages  was  so  much 
greater  than  I,  being  but  little  better  than  a  very  green 
hand,  had  a  right  to  expect,  that  a  person  acquainted  with 
human  nature  would  have  suspected  this  pleasant-spoken 
gentleman  to  have  some  other  reason  for  his  conduct  than 
admiration  at  my  appearance  and  interest  in  my  welfare. 
I  was  eager  to  place  myself  at  once  under  the  protection 
of  my  new  friend ;  yet  I  could  not  forget  that  I  was  still 


68  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

under  the  care  of  my  kinsman,  Captain  Tilton,  and  that 
it  would  be  neither  decorous  nor  proper  to  make  this  new 
engagement  without  consulting  him.  But  I  did  not  for 
a  moment  doubt  he  would  give  his  consent  to  the  pro- 
posed arrangement,  and  be  rejoiced  to  get  me  fairly  off 
his  hands. 

I  communicated  my  objections  to  the  stranger,  but 
assured  him  that  I  would  meet  him  in  the  afternoon  at 
the  place  he  designated,  and  in  all  probability  sign  "  the 
articles."  He  seemed,  nevertheless,  disappointed  at  the 
result  of  the  interview,  and  bidding  me  not  fail  to  come, 
turned  away,  and  walked  slowly  towards  the  wharf. 

As  I  left  this  kind-hearted  stranger,  brim  full  of  new- 
born confidence  and  hope,  and  exulting  in  the  fact  that 
I  had  fallen  in  with  a  man  of  influence  and  position,  who 
could  appreciate  my  merit,  I  met  a  couple  of  sailors  of  my 
acquaintance,  who  had  been  standing  at  a  corner  of  the 
street  witnessing  our  interview,  with  which  they  seemed 
greatly  amused.  One  of  the  sailors,  with  a  deficiency  of 
respect  for  my  would-be  patron  which  I  could  not  ap- 
prove, said,  "  Hawser,  what  were  you  talking  with  that 
fellow  about  ?  " 

I  explained,  with  great  glee  and  at  full  length,  the 
nature  of  our  conversation,  to  which  they  greedily  lis- 
tened, winking  mysteriously  at  each  other.  When  I  had 
concluded,  they  indulged  in  a  hearty  laugh. 

It  was  some  time  before  they  could  sufficiently  restrain 
their  merriment  to  enlighten  me  on  the  cause  of  their 
mirth.  I  was  then  told,  to  my  mortification,  that  my 
kind  friend,  the  gentleman  on  whose  benevolence  and 
protection  I  had  already  built  hopes  of  success  in  life, 
was  neither  more  nor  less  than  the  captain  of  an  armed 
clipper  brig,  —  a  slaver,  —  anchored  in  the  outer  roads, 
which  had  been  for  a  fortnight  ready  for  sea,  but  was 
detained  in  consequence  of  the  desertion  of  three  several 
crews,  who  had  been  induced  by  false  representations  to 


SCENES   IN    CHARLESTON.  69 

ship,  and  had  deserted  en  masse  as  soon  as  they  learned 
the  true  character  of  the  vessel  and  the  voyage.  He  was 
now  using  all  possible  means  to  entrap  a  crew  of  men  or 
boys  for  this  abominable  traffic,  and  was  by  no  means  par- 
ticular in  his  choice. 

This  was  a  severe  blow  to  my  vanity.  I  felt  not  a 
little  indignant  at  being  so  easily  cajoled,  played  upon, 
and  almost  kidnapped  by  this  unprincipled  scoundrel.  It 
was  a  valuable  lesson,  however ;  for  experience  is  a  good, 
although  expensive,  teacher. 

A  few  days  passed  away,  when,  one  morning  about 
three  o'clock,  as  some  members  of  the  city  patrol  were 
passing  through  Church  Street,  they  discovered  a  man, 
apparently  in  a  dying  state,  lying  in  the  street.  He  was 
conveyed  to  the  guard  house,  or  patrol  station,  where  he 
died  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  without  being  able  to 
articulate  a  syllable.  Several  wounds  in  different  parts 
of  his  body,  made  by  a  small  penknife,  which  was  sub- 
sequently found,  were  undoubtedly  the  cause  of  his  death. 
The  unfortunate  man  thus  murdered  was  the  captain  of 
the  slaver,  who  had  sought  to  entrap  me  by  his  honeyed 
words.  A  pool  of  blood  was  on  the  spot  on  which  he 
was  first  discovered,  and  his  steps  could  be  traced  by  the 
blood  on  the  pavements  for  several  rods.  The  marks  of 
blood  were  found  only  in  the  middle  of  the  street ;  and 
none  of  the  persons  residing  in  that  part  of  the  city 
heard  any  disturbance,  brawl,  or  cries  for  assistance  in 
the  course  of  the  night. 

This  mysterious  tragedy  caused  a  great  excitement. 
The  police  were  unceasing  in  their  efforts  to  discover 
the  circumstances  connected  with  this  assassination,  but 
in  vain.  The  veil  which  concealed  it  was  not  lifted,  and 
no  clew  was  ever  given  by  which  even  conjecture  could 
develop  the  mystery. 

It  was  supposed  by  some  that  the  unfortunate  man  fell 
a  victim  to  the  rage  of  a  jealous  husband  whose  honor  he 


70  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

had  outraged,  or  of  a  lover  whose  affections  he  had  sup- 
planted. Others  thought  the  fatal  injuries  he  received 
were  the  result  of  a  drunken  quarrel,  commenced  in  a 
gaming  house  ;  while  many  believed  that  private  revenge 
inflicted  the  stabs,  which,  from  their  number  and  direc- 
tion, appeared  to  have  been  given  under  the  influence  of 
ungovernable  fury.  Some  thought  the  wounds  were  in- 
flicted by  a  vigorous  man,  others,  that  a  woman  had 
imbrued  her  hands  in  his  blood. 

The  first,  and  perhaps  most  natural  supposition,  was 
that  some  negro,  knowing  the  character  of  the  voyage 
which  the  murdered  man  had  contemplated,  had  taken 
this  desperate  mode  of  arresting  his  proceedings.  This 
theory,  however,  was  soon  generally  abandoned  for 
another.  It  was  suggested  that  one  of  the  sailors  who 
had  shipped  in  the  slaver  and  subsequently  deserted, 
knowing  the  captain  was  seeking  them  in  every  direction, 
had  met  him  in  the  street,  and  fearful  of  being  arrested, 
or  seeking  to  revenge  a  personal  wrong,  had  committed 
the  terrible  crime.  This  hypothesis  was,  doubtless,  as  false 
as  either  of  the  others,  and  more  absurd.  It  was,  never- 
theless, adopted  by  the  city  authorities,  and  promptly 
acted  upon,  with  a  disregard  to  the  rights  of  individuals 
which  seems  strangely  at  variance  with  republican  insti- 
tutions. The  police  force  was  strengthened,  and  on  the 
evening  succeeding  the  discovery  of  the  murder  received 
orders  to  arrest  and  place  in  confinement  every  individual 
seen  in  the  streets  wearing  the  garb  of  a  sailor.  This 
arbitrary  edict  was  strictly  enforced  ;  and  Jack,  on  leav- 
ing his  home  in  the  forecastle  or  a  boarding  house  to 
visit  the  haunts  of  dissipation,  or  perhaps  to  attend  to 
some  pressing  and  important  duty,  was  pounced  upon  by 
the  members  of  the  city  guard,  and,  much  to  his  astonish- 
ment and  anger,  and  maugre  his  struggles,  expostulations, 
and  threats,  was  carried  off  without  any  assigned  reason, 
and  securely  placed  under  lock  and  key. 


SCENES    IN    CHARLESTON.  71 

Some  two  or  three  hundred  of  these  unoffending  tars 
were  caught,  captured,  cribbed,  and  confined.  No  respect 
was  paid  to  age,  color,  or  nation.  They  were  huddled 
together  in  rooms  of  very  moderate  dimensions,  which 
precluded,  for  one  night  at  least,  any  idea  of  rest  or  com- 
fort ;  and  such  a  confusion  of  tongues,  such  anathemas 
against  the  city  officials,  such  threats  of  vengeance,  such 
rare  specimens  of  swearing,  singing,  and  shouting,  varied 
occasionally  by  rough  greetings  and  jeers  whenever  a 
new  squad  of  blue  jackets  was  thrust  in  among  them, 
would  have  commanded  the  admiration  of  the  evil  dwell- 
ers in  Milton's  Pandemonium. 

This  arbitrary  measure  failed  of  success.  The  kid- 
napped sailors,  on  the  following  day,  were  separately 
examined  in  the  presence  of  the  mate  of  the  brig,  but  no 
reasons  were  found  for  detaining  a  single  individual. 

A  few  days  after  this  occurrence,  Captain  Tilt  on  told 
me  he  had  sold  the  brig  Dolphin  to  a  Captain  Turner,  of 
New  York,  a  worthy  man  and  his  particular  friend ;  that 
Captain  Turner  intended  proceeding  immediately  to  some 
neutral  port  in  the  West  Indies.  The  non-intercourse 
act,  at  that  time,  prohibited  all  trade  to  places  belonging 
to  either  of  the  great  belligerent  powers.  He  also  said 
he  had  made  no  arrangements  in  regard  to  himself ;  that 
he  was  undecided  what  course  to  pursue,  and  might 
remain  on  shore  for  months.  Anxious,  however,  to  pro- 
mote my  interest  by  procuring  me  active  employment, 
he  had  stipulated  with  Captain  Turner  that  I  should 
have  "a  chance"  in  the  Dolphin,  on  her  next  voyage, 
before  the  mast.  I  had  not  a  word  to  say  against  this 
arrangement,  but  gave  my  cheerful  consent,  especially  as 
it  was  represented  that  Captain  Turner  would  "  treat 
me  with  kindness,  and  help  me  along  in  the  world." 

I  was  thus  unceremoniously  dismissed  by  Captain  Til- 
ton  from  his  charge.  Under  the  plea  of  promoting  my 
interest,  he  had  procured  me  a  situation  before  the  ma>t 


72  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

in  an  old,  leaky  vessel,  which  he  had  got  rid  of  because 
she  was  not  seaworthy,  and  commanded  by  a  man  of 
whose  character  he  was  entirely  ignorant.  I  expressed 
gratitude  to  my  kinsman  for  his  goodness,  notwithstand- 
ing I  had  secret  misgivings  in  regard  to  his  disinterested- 
ness, and  signed  with  alacrity  "  the  articles  "  with  Captain 
Turner.  A  new  and  interesting  scene  in  the  drama  of 
life  was  about  to  open,  and  I  looked  forward  with  im- 
patience to  the  rising  of  the  curtain. 

The  brig  was  laden  with  a  cargo  of  lumber,  rice,  and 
provisions,  and  her  destination  was  Cayenne,  on  the 
coast  of  Guiana.  In  January,  1810,  we  left  the  Avharf  in 
Charleston,  and  proceeded  down  the  harbor.  The  wind 
was  h'ght,  but  the  tide  ebbed  with  unusual  velocity, 
sweeping  us  rapidly  on  our  way.  We  had  nearly  reached 
the  bar  when  it  suddenly  became  calm.  The  brig  lost 
steerage  way,  and  the  current  was  setting  towards  the 
shoals.  The  pilot,  aware  of  the  danger,  called  out,  "  Let 
go  the  anchor ! " 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  small  bower 
anchor  was  let  go.  The  tide  was  so  strong  that  when  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  cable  was  run  out,  the  attempt  to 
"  check  her,"  and  to  "  bring  up,"  resulted  in  capsizing  the 
windlass,  and  causing,  for  a  few  minutes,  a  scene  of  inde- 
scribable confusion.  The  windlass,  by  its  violent  and 
spasmodic  motion,  knocked  over  two  of  the  sailors  who 
foolishly  endeavored  to  regain  control  of  its  actions, 
and  the  cable,  having  commenced  running  out  of  the 
hawse-hole,  would  not  be  "snubbed,"  but  obstinately 
persisted  in  continuing  its  course  in  spite  of  the  desper- 
ate exertions  of  the  captain,  mate,  pilot,  and  a  portion 
of  the  crew,  who  clung  to  it  as  if  it  was  their  last  hope. 
But  their  efforts  were  vain.  Its  impetuosity  could  not 
in  this  way  be  checked;  and  as  the  end  of  the  cable, 
by  some  strange  neglect,  had  not  been  clinched  around 
the  mast,  the  last  coil  followed  the  example  of  "  its  illus- 


SCENES   IN   CHARLESTON.  73 

trious  predecessors,"  and  disappeared  through  the  hawse- 
hole,  after  having,  by  an  unexpected  whisk,  upset  the 
mate,  and  given  the  captain  a  rap  across  the  shins,  which 
lamed  him  for  a  week. 

The  "best  bower"  anchor  was  now  let  go,  and  the 
end  hastily  secured  around  the  foremast,  which  fortu- 
nately "  brought  up "  the  brig  "  all  standing,"  within 
half  a  cable's  length  of  the  shoal.  No  buoy  having 
been  attached  to  the  small  bower  anchor,  the  anchor 
and  cable  were  lost  forever. 

This  accident,  of  course,  prevented  us  from  proceeding 
immediately  to  sea ;  and  the  wind  having  changed,  the 
anchor  was  weighed  at  the  flood  tide,  and  the  brig 
removed  to  a  safer  anchorage.  Night  came  on,  and  as 
the  brig  was  riding  in  a  roadstead,  at  single  anchor,  in 
a  tempestuous  season,  it  was  necessary  to  set  an  anchor 
watch.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  have  the  first  watch;  that 
is,  to  keep  a  look  out  after  the  wind,  weather,  and  con- 
dition of  the  vessel,  and  report  any  occurrence  of  im- 
portance between  the  hours  of  eight  and  ten  in  the 
evening.  The  crew,  fatigued  with  the  labors  of  the 
day,  took  possession  of  their  berths  at  an  early  hour 
the  mate  and  the  captain  also  disappeared  from  the  deck, 
after  having  instructed  me  in  my  duties,  and  cautioned 
me  against  falling  asleep  in  my  watch. 

I  was  thus  intrusted  with  a  responsible  charge,  and 
realized  the  importance  of  the  trust.  I  walked  fore-and- 
aft  the  deck,  with  a  step  and  a  swagger  that  would  have 
become  a  Port  Admiral  in  the  British  navy.  I  felt  that 
I  had  gained  one  important  step ;  and,  bound  on  a  pleas- 
ant voyage,  with  kind  and  indulgent  officers,  had  every 
thing  pleasant  to  expect  in  the  future.  As  Captain  Tur- 
ner would  undoubtedly  treat  me  with  indulgence  and 
overlook  any  shortcomings  on  my  part,  for  the  sake 
of  his  intimate  friend,  Captain  Tilton,  I  determined,  by 

7 


74  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

my  attention  to  duty,  and  my  general  conduct,  to  de- 
serve the  favors  which  I  was  sure  I  should  receive. 

Communing  thus  with  myself,  and  lost  in  the  rosy 
vagaries  of  a  vivid  imagination,  I  unhappily  for  the 
moment  forgot  the  objects  for  which  I  was  stationed 
on  deck.  I  seated  myself  involuntarily  on  a  spar,  which 
was  lashed  alongside  the  long  boat,  and  in  a  few  minutes, 
without  any  intention  or  expectation  of  being  otherwise 
than  vigilant  in  the  extreme,  was  transported  to  the  land 
of  dreams  !  A  check  was  suddenly  put  to  my  vagabond 
thoughts  and  flowery  visions,  and  I  was  violently  dragged 
back  to  the  realities  of  life  by  a  strong  hand,  which,  seizing 
me  roughly  by  the  collar,  jerked  me  to  my  feet!  At 
the  same  time,  the  voice  of  my  kind  friend  and  bene- 
factor, Captain  Turner,  rung  in  my  ears  like  a  trumpet, 
as  he  exclaimed  in  a  paroxysm  of  passion,  "You  little 
good-for-nothing  rascal !  This  is  the  way  you  keep 
watch!  hey?  Wake  up,  you  lazy  ragamuffin!  Rouse 
yourself! "  and,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  gave 
me  two  or  three  severe  shakes.  "Let  me  catch  you 
sleeping  in  your  watch  again,  and  I'll  send  you  to  the 
cross-trees  for  four  hours  on  a  stretch.  I  knew  I  had 
got  a  hard  bargain  when  your  uncle  shoved  you  upon 
me,  you  sneaking,  sanctimonious-looking  imp  of  Satan  ! 
But  mind  how  you  carry  your  helm,  or  you  will  have  cause 
to  curse  the  day  when  you  shipped  on  board  the  Dolphin ! " 

This  was  a  damper,  with  a  vengeance,  to  my  aspirations 
and  hopes.  The  ladder  on  which  I  was  about  to  ascend 
to  fame  and  fortune  was  unfeelingly  knocked  away, 
and  I  was  laid  prostrate  —  flat  on  my  back — almost 
before  I  began  to  mount !  I  was  deceived  in  Captain 
Turner ;  and  what  was  of  greater  consequence  to  me, 
my  self-confidence  was  terribly  shaken  —  I  was  deceived 
in  myself.  My  shipmates,  nevertheless,  sympathized  with 
me  in  my  abasement ;  gave  me  words  of  encouragement ; 
bade  me  be  of  good  cheer ;  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip ;  look 


SCE2TES   IX   CHARLESTON.  75 

ont  sharper  for  squalls  in  the  future,  and  I  should  yet 
"weather  the  cape." 

An  awkward  accident  happened  to  me  the  following 
day,  which  tended  still  further  to  diminish  the  self-confi- 
dence I  had  so  recently  cherished.  The  small  boat  had 
returned  about  sunset  from  a  mission  to  the  city,  and 
as  I  formed  one  of  the  boat's  crew,  the  mate  ordered 
me  to  drop  the  boat  astern,  and  hook  on  the  tackles  that 
it  might  be  hoisted  to  the  davits.  But  the  tide  running 
furiously,  the  boat  when  under  the  quarter  took  a  sudden 
sheer.  I  lost  my  hold  on  the  brig,  and  found  myself 
adrift. 

I  shouted  lustily  for  help,  but  no  help  could  be  af- 
forded; the  long-boat  being  snugly  stowed  amidships, 
and  the  tide  sweeping  me  towards  the  bar  at  the  rate 
of  several  knots  an  hour.  Sculling  was  a  manoeuvre 
of  which  I  had  heard,  and  seen  practised,  but  had  never 
practised  myself.  I  therefore  took  one  of  the  oars  and 
made  a  desperate  attempt  to  paddle  towards  the  brig. 
The  attempt  was  unsuccessful ;  the  distance  between 
the  brig  and  the  boat  was  rapidly  increasing,  darkness 
was  coining  on,  a  strong  breeze  was  springing  up,  and 
I  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be  drifted  among  the  breakers, 
or  swept  out  to  sea  over  the  bar! 

It  happened,  fortunately  for  me,  that  a  large  brig  was 
riding  at  anchor  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Dolphin. 
This  was  the  very  slaver  whose  captain  was  so  mysteri- 
ously assassinated.  The  mate  of  the  brig  was  looking 
around  the  harbor  at  the  time  ;  he  espied  my  misfortune, 
and  forthwith  despatched  a  boat,  pulled  by  four  men,  to 
my  assistance.  They  took  me  in  tow,  and,  after  an  hour 
of  hard  work,  succeeded  in  towing  the  boat  and  myself 
safely  alongside  the  brig. 

I  was  soundly  rated  by  the  mate  for  my  carelessness  in 
allowing  the  boat  to  get  adrift,  and  my  shipmates  were  un- 
sparing in  their  reproaches  for  my  ignorance  of  the  impor- 


76  JACK  IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

tant  art  of  sculling.  I  was  completely  crest-fallen  ;  hut 
during  the  few  remaining  days  we  remained  in  port  I 
applied  myself  with  zeal  to  gain  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  art,  and  could  soon  propel  a  boat  through  the  water, 
with  a  single  oar  over  the  stern,  with  as  much  dexterity  as 
the  most  accomplished  sailor. 

A  new  cable  and  anchor  were  brought  on  board,  the 
wind  became  favorable,  and  the  brig  Dolphin  proceeded  to 
sea,  bound  nominally  for  Cayenne.  I  carried  with  me, 
engraven  on  my  memory  in  characters  which  have  never 
been  effaced,  the  art  of  sculling  a  boat,  and  the  admonition 
"never  fall  asleep  in  your  watch  f" 


CHAPTER    VII. 

DELIBERATE     ROGUERY. 

AFTER  we  reached  the  blue  water,  and  the  wind  began 
to  blow  and  the  sea  to  rise,  the  old  brig,  with  correspond- 
ing motion,  tossed  and  wallowed  about  as  if  for  a  wager. 
Although  while  in  port  her  bottom  had  been  calked  and 
graved,  the  leak,  which  gave  so  much  trouble  the  previous 
voyage,  had  not  been  stopped.  In  a  fresh  breeze  and  a 
head  sea  the  seams  would  open,  and  a  good  "  spell  at  the 
pump,"  every  twenty  minutes  at  least,  was  required  to 
keep  her  free. 

The  captain  grumbled  and  swore  like  a  pirate ;  but  this 
had  no  perceptible  effect  in  stopping  the  leak.  On  the 
contrary,  the  more  he  raved,  denouncing  the  brig  as  a 
humbug,  and  the  man  who  sold  her  to  him  as  a  knave  and 
a  swindler,  the  more  the  brig  leaked.  And  what  was  re- 
markable, after  the  first  ten  days,  the  brig  leaked  as  much 
in  a  light  breeze  and  a  smooth  sea  as  in  rough  weather. 


SCENES   IN   CHAKLESTON.  77 

It  was  necessary  to  keep  one  pump  in  action  the  whole 
time.  But  when  the  men,  wearied  by  their  unremitting 
exertions,  talked  of  abandoning  the  vessel  to  her  fate,  and 
taking  refuge  in  the  first  vessel  they  might  fall  in  with, 
the  leak  seemed  suddenly  to  diminish,  until  the  bottom  of 
the  old  craft  was  comparatively  tight !  No  sooner  had 
the  crew  recovered  from  their  fatigue  than  the  water  again 
poured  in,  allowing  them  but  little  repose  from  the  labor 
of  pumping  it  out ! 

All  this  was  inexplicable  to  me,  and  the  mystery  caused 
much  philosophical  discussion  and  sage  remark  among  the 
ship's  company.  As  we  were  in  a  part  of  the  ocean  which 
abounded  in  flying  fish,  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  the 
stoppage  of  the  leak  was  caused  by  the  involuntary  action 
of  a  flying  fish  !  The  theory  was,  that  an  unfortunate  fish, 
swimming  beneath  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  crevice  through  which  the  water  rushed, 
unsuspicious  of  danger,  was  suddenly  "  sucked  in,"  and 
plugged  up  the  hole  until  it  was  drawn  through  or  re- 
moved by  decomposition ! 

One  day  the  cook,  a  negro  not  remarkable  for  quickness 
of  apprehension  or  general  intelligence,  received  such  an 
unmerciful  beating  from  the  captain  that  he  was  unable  to 
attend  to  his  manifold  duties,  and  a  portion  of  them  fell  to 
my  share.  Among  them  was  the  task  of  drawing  off  the 
regular  allowance  of  rum,  half  a  pint  to  each  man,  and 
serving  it  out  to  the  crew.  The  rum  was  in  the  after  part 
of  the  vessel,  beneath  the  cabin,  a  place  designated  as 
"  the  run."  It  was  approached  by  a  scuttle  in  the  cabin 
floor,  and  of  course  could  not  be  explored  by  any  of  the 
crew  without  the  especial  permission  of  the  captain  or 
mate.  I  entered  the  dark  hole,  aided  by  the  glimmering 
light  of  a  lantern,  groped  my  way  to  the  barrel  which 
contained  the  liquid  so  highly  prized  by  the  sons  of  Nep- 
tune as  the  liquor  of  life,  —  the  pure  aqua  vitce^  —  and 
filled  my  can  with  the  precious  fluid. 

7* 


78  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

When  I  inserted  the  spigot  I  still  heard  a  gurgling 
sound,  as  of  the  rush  of  water  through  a  narrow  passage. 
I  listened,  and  examined  further,  and  became  convinced  I 
had  discovered  the  leak.  I  hastily  emerged  from  "the 
run,"  and  passed  up  on  deck.  The  captain  was  taking  a 
meridian  observation  of  the  sun,  when,  with  a  radiant 
countenance  and  glistening  eye,  my  whole  frame  trem- 
bling with  joy  and  anticipated  triumph,  I  communicated  the 
important  information  that  I  had  discovered  the  leak :  it 
was  in  the  run,  could  be  easily  reached,  and  with  a  little 
ingenuity  and  labor  stopped. 

Instead  of  rewarding  me  for  my  intelligence  and  zeal 
with  a  smile  of  approbation  and  a  word  of  encourage- 
ment, the  captain  gave  me  a  look  which  petrified  me  for 
a  time,  and  would  have  killed  me  on  the  spot  if  looks 
could  kill  in  those  degenerate  days.  Seizing  me  roughly 
by  the  shoulder,  he  addressed  me  in  a  hissing,  hoarse 
voice,  yet  so  low  that  his  words,  although  terribly  intelli- 
gible to  me,  could  be  distinctly  heard  by  no  other  person  : 
—  "Mind  your  own  business,  my  lad,  and  let  the  leaks 
take  care  of  themselves !  Go  about  your  work ;  and  if 
you  whisper  a  syllable  of  what  you  have  told  me  to  any 
other  person,  I  will  throw  you  overboard,  you  officious, 
intermeddling  little  vagabond  ! "  and  he  indorsed  his  fear- 
ful threat  by  an  oath  too  impious  to  be  transcribed. 

This  unexpected  rebuke,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  I 
had  seen  in  "the  run  "the  large  screw  auger  which  had 
been  missing  from  the  tool-chest  for  more  than  a  week, 
furnished  a  key  to  unlock  the  mysteries  connected  with 
the  leak.  The  captain,  for  some  purpose  which  he  did 
not  choose  to  reveal,  with  the  connivance  and  aid  of  the 
mate,  had  bored  holes  through  the  bottom  of  the  brig,  and 
could  let  in  the  water  at  his  pleasure ! 

A  few  days  after  this  interesting  incident  which  threw  a 
new  light  on  the  character  of  the  man  to  whose  charge  I 
had  been  intrusted,  we  reached  the  latitude  of  Martinico. 


SCENES    IN    CHARLESTON.  79 

As  the  brig  now  leaked  more  than  ever,  and  the  men,  one 
and  all,  were  worn  out  with  continued  pumping,  the  cap- 
tain proclaimed  to  the  crew  that  in  consequence  of  the 
leaky  condition  of  the  brig,  he  did  not  consider  it  safe  to 
proceed  further  on  the  voyage  to  Cayenne,  and  had  de- 
termined to  make  the  first  port. 

This  determination  met  the  approbation  of  all  hands, 
without  a  dissenting  voice.  The  yards  were  squared,  the 
helm  was  put  up,  the  course  was  given  "due  west,"  and, 
with  a  cracking  trade  wind,  away  we  bowled  off  before  it 
for  the  Island  of  Martinico. 

Captain  Turner,  although  not  remarkable  for  the  strict- 
ness of  his  principles,  was  a  shrewd  and  intelligent  man. 
On  shore  he  had  the  semblance  of  a  gentleman.  On  ship- 
board he  was  a  good  sailor  and  a  skilful  navigator.  If  to 
his  energy,  talents,  and  intelligence  had  been  added  a 
moderate  share  of  honesty,  he  would  probably  have  been 
successful  in  his  struggle  for  wealth,  and  might  have  at- 
tained respectability.  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  note 
that  "  a  rogue  in  grain  "  finds  it  more  difficult  to  achieve 
success  in  life  than  an  honest  man.  Shakspeare,  the 
great  exponent  of  human  nature,  makes  the  unscrupulous 
Cardinal  Wolsey  say,  when  crushed  by  the  hand  of 
royalty,  deserted  by  his  friends,  and  a  prey  to  disgrace  and 
ignominy,  — 

"  Had  I  but  served  my  God  with  half  the  zeal 
I  served  my  king,  he  would  not  in  mine  age 
Have  left  me  naked  to  mine  enemies." 

On  the  morning  after  this  change  in  our  course,  the  high 
land  of  Martinico  was  seen  in  the  distance ;  and  in  the 
afternoon,  before  the  sun  had  reached  the  horizon,  we  were 
snugly  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  St.  Pierre.  This 
port,  at  the  bottom  of  a  wide  bay,  with  good  anchorage 
close  to  the  beach,  is  open  to  the  sea.  But  being  on  the 
lee  of  the  island,  it  is  protected  from  the  trade  winds 
which,  with  rare  exceptions,  blow  throughout  the  year. 


80  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

From  a  westerly  tempest  there  is  no  protection,  and  a 
hurricane  always  carries  destruction  among  the  shipping. 

The  reason  why  the  brig  was  made  to  spring  a  leak  was 
now  evident.  Captain  Turner  never  intended  to  go  to 
Cayenne,  but  wished  to  be  justified  in  the  eye  of  the  law 
in  proceeding  to  what  he  considered  a  better  market.  The 
non-intercourse  act  being  in  operation,  American  vessels 
were  prohibited  from  entering  an  English  or  a  French 
port,  excepting  in  cases  of  distress.  It  was  therefore  de- 
termined that  the  Dolphin  should  spring  a  leak,  and  seem 
in  danger  of  foundering,  in  order  to  furnish  a  pretext  for 
entering  the  harbor  of  St.  Pierre  ! 

Captain  Turner  expected  to  find  no  American  vessels  in 
port,  and  of  course  no  American  produce.  He  calculated 
to  realize  a  high  price  for  his  cargo,  and  was  surprised 
and  disappointed  to  ascertain  that  other  Yankees  were  as 
shrewd  and  unscrupulous  as  himself.  The  anchorage  was 
thickly  sprinkled  with  American  vessels,  and  the  market 
was  overstocked  with  American  produce.  These  vessels 
had  been  driven  into  St.  Pierre  by  "  stress  of  weather  "  or 
"  dangerous  leaks, "  and  their  commanders  cherished  as 
little  respect  for  the  revenue  laws,  or  any  other  mandates 
of  the  United  States  government,  as  Captain  Turner.  A 
protest,  carefully  worded,  and  signed  and  sworn  to  by  the 
mate  and  two  seamen,  and  a  survey  of  the  vessel  made  by 
persons  judiciously  selected,  acted  as  a  protecting  shield 
against  any  subsequent  troublesome  interference  on  the 
part  of  the  American  authorities. 

The  wisdom  of  the  "Long  Embargo,"  and  the  "Non- 
intercourse  Act "  is  greatly  doubted  by  the  statesmen  of 
the  present  day.  Besides  crippling  our  own  resources, 
and  paralyzing  the  whole  commercial  interest  of  the  United 
States,  a  craven  spirit  was  thus  manifested  on  the  part  of 
our  rulers,  which  exposed  tis  to  insults  and  outrages  from 
the  belligerent  powers.  And  if  the  policy  of  these  ex- 
traordinary measures  can  be  defended,  it  must  be  admitted 


SCENES   IK   CHARLESTON.  81 

that  they  were  the  direct  cause  of  more  roguery  than 
would  compensate  for  an  immense  amount  of  good. 

Having  arrived  at  Martinico  in  distress,  we  were  pre- 
cluded from  proceeding  to  any  other  port  in  search  of  a 
better  market.  The  cargo  was  sold  at  prices  that  would 
hardly  pay  the  expenses  of  the  voyage.  In  delivering  the 
lumber,  however,  an  opportunity  offered  in  making  up  in 
quantity  the  deficiency  in  price,  of  which  our  honest  cap- 
tain, following  the  example,  I  regret  to  say,  of  many  of 
the  West  India  captains  of  those  days,  eagerly  availed 
himself. 

The  lumber  was  taken  to  the  shore  on  large  rafts,  and 
hauled  up  on  the  beach  by  men  belonging  to  the  brig. 
The  mark  on  every  separate  board  or  plank  was  called  out 
in  a  clear  voice  by  the  man  who  dragged  it  from  the  raft 
to  the  beach,  and  was  noted  down  by  the  mate  of  the  brig 
and  a  clerk  of  the  mercantile  house  that  purchased  the 
lumber.  Those  parties  were  comfortably  seated  beneath 
the  shade  of  a  tamarind  tree,  at  some  distance,  smoking 
cigars  and  pleasantly  conversing.  They  compared  notes 
from  time  to  time,  and  there  was  no  difference  in  their  ac- 
counts. Every  thing  on  our  part  was  apparently  con- 
ducted on  the  strictest  principles  of  honesty.  But  each 
sailor  having  received  a  hint  from  the  mate,  who  had  been 
posted  by  the  captain,  and  a  promise  of  other  indulgences, 
often  added  from  fifteen  to  twenty  per  cent,  to  the  mark 
which  had  been  actually  scored  by  the  surveyor  on  every 
board  or  plank.  Thus,  if  a  board  was  marked  twelve  feet, 
the  amount  given  was  fifteen  feet ;  a  board  that  measured 
only  eighteen  or  twenty  feet,  would  be  represented  as 
twenty-five ;  and  sometimes  a  large,  portly-looking  board, 
measuring  thirty  or  thirty-five  feet,  not  only  received  an 
addition  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  but  was  suddenly  transformed 
into  a  plank,  which  was  counted  as  containing  double  the 
measurement  of  a  board  of  the  same  superficial  dimen- 
sions. Thus  a  board  actually  measuring  only  thirty  feet 


82  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

was  passed  off  upon  the  unsophisticated  clerk  of  the  pur- 
chaser as  a  piece  of  lumber  measuring  seventy  feet.  In 
this  way  Captain  Turner  managed,  in  what  he  contended 
was  the  usual  and  proper  manner  among  the  Yankees,  to 
make  a  cargo  of  lumber  "hold  out!"  Another  attempt 
which  this  gentleman  made  to  realize  a  profit  on  merchan- 
dise greater  than  could  be  obtained  by  a  system  of  fair 
trading  was  not  attended  with  so  favorable  a  result. 

A  portion  of  the  cargo  of  the  Dolphin  consisted  of  bar- 
rels of  salted  provisions.  This  part  of  the  cargo  was  not 
enumerated  among  the  articles  in  the  manifest.  Captain 
Turner  intended  to  dispose  of  it  to  the  shipping  in  the 
harbor,  and  thus  avoid  the  payment  of  the  regular  duties. 
He  accordingly  sold  some  ten  or  a  dozen  barrels  of  beef 
and  pork,  at  a  high  price,  to  the  captain  of  an  English 
ship.  The  transaction,  by  some  unknown  means,  was  dis- 
covered by  the  government  officials,  who,  in  a  very  grave 
and  imposing  manner,  visited  the  brig  with  a  formidable 
posse.  They  found  in  the  hold  a  considerable  quantity  of 
the  salted  provisions  on  which  no  duty  had  been  paid ; 
this  they  conveyed  on  shore  and  confiscated  to  the  use  of 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  Great  Britain.  The  brig  also 
was  seized,  but  was  subsequently  released  on  payment  of 
a  heavy  fine. 

The  merchant  vessels  lying  in  St.  Pierre  are  generally 
moored  head  and  stern,  one  of  the  anchors  being  carried 
ashore,  and  embedded  in  the  ground  on  the  beach.  A  few 
days  after  we  were  thus  moored,  a  large"  Spanish  schooner 
from  the  Main  hauled  in  and  moored  alongside,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  only  a  few  fathoms.  Besides  the  captain,  there 
were  several  well-dressed  personages  on  board,  who  ap- 
peared to  take  an  interest  in  the  cargo,  and  lived  in  the 
cabin.  But  harmony  did  not  characterize  their  intercourse 
with  each  other.  At  times  violent  altercations  occurred, 
which,  being  carried  on  in  the  Spanish  language,  were  to 
us  neither  edifying  nor  amusing. 


Duel  between  two  Spaniards,  —p.  88- 


SCENES    IX    CUAIiLESTOX.  83 

One  Sunday  morning,  after  the  Spanish  schooner  had 
been  about  a  week  in  port,  and  was  nearly  ready  for  sea, 
a  fierce  quarrel  took  place  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  ves- 
sel, which,  being  attended  with  loud  language,  menacing 
looks,  and  frantic  gesticulations,  attracted  the  attention  of 
all  who  were  within  sight  or  hearing. 

Two  of  the  Spaniards,  large,  good-looking  men,  were 
apparently  very  bitter  in  their  denunciations  of  each  other. 
They  suddenly  threw  off  their  coats,  which  they  wrapped 
around  the  left  arm,  and  each  grasping  a  long  Spanish 
knife,  —  the  original  of  the  murderous  "bowie-knife,"  — 
attacked  each  other  with  a  ferocity  terrible  to  behold. 
Every  muscle  seemed  trembling  and  convulsed  with  pas- 
sion, their  eyes  flashed  with  desperation,  and  their  mus- 
cles seemed  endued  with  superhuman  power,  as  they 
rushed  upon  each  other. 

Many  furious  passes  were  made,  and  dexterously  parried 
by  the  left  arm,  which  was  used  as  a  buckler  in  which  to 
receive  the  thrusts.  At  length  one  of  the  combatants 
received  a  wound  in  the  chest,  and  his  shirt  bosom  was 
instantly  stained  with  blood.  This  served  only  to  rouse 
him  to  more  desperate  exertions  if  possible ;  and,  like  two 
enraged  tigers,  these  men  no  longer  thought  of  defending 
themselves,  but  were  bent  only  on  assailing  each  other. 

Such  a  combat  could  not  last  long.  One  of  the  Span- 
iards sank  to  the  deck,  covered  with  wounds  and  exhausted 
with  blood,  while  the  victor,  who,  from  the  gory  condition 
of  his  linen,  his  pallid  cheeks,  and  staggering  steps  seemed 
in  little  better  plight,  was  assisted  into  the  cabin  by  his 
companions. 

Duels  of  a  similar  character,  fought  on  the  spot  with 
knives,  the  left  arm  protected  with  a  garment  used  as  a 
shield,  were  by  no  means  unfrequent  among  the  Spaniards 
in  the  Xew  World,  and  the  barbarous  custom  is  not  yet 
obsolete. 

The  vessel,  on  whose  decks  this  horrible  scene  of  butch- 


84  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

ery  was  enacted,  left  the  harbor  on  the  following  day,  to 
the  great  gratification  of  her  neighbors ;  and  a  rusty,  ill- 
looking  schooner,  called  the  John,  hauled  from  another 
part  of  the  roadstead,  and  took  the  berth  vacated  by  the 
Spaniards.  Like  other  American  vessels  that  had  been 
coquetting  with  the  revenue  laws,  neither  the  name  of  the 
schooner  nor  the  place  to  which  she  belonged  was  painted 
on  her  stern.  A  close  intimacy,  intended  doubtless  for 
their  mutual  advantage,  existed  between  Captain  Turner 
and  the  master  of  the  John.  The  crews  of  the  two  vessels 
also  became  acquainted,  and  when  the  day's  work  was 
ended,  often  assembled  on  board  one  of  the  vessels,  and 
indulged  in  singing,  conversing,  skylarking,  or  spinning 
yarns. 

Swimming  was  an  agreeable  and  refreshing  exercise,  in 
which  we  often  indulged,  notwithstanding  the  harbor  of 
St.  Pierre  was  an  open  bay  in  a  tropical  climate ;  the  very 
place  which  the  shark  would  be  likely  to  frequent.  It 
was  said,  however,  that  sharks  were  seldom  seen  in  the 
bay,  and  never  among  the  shipping.  This  statement  was 
regarded  as  a  sufficient  assurance  of  safety ;  and  although 
I  retained  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  dreadful  tragedy  I 
had  seen  enacted  a  few  months  before  in  Demarara,  with 
all  the  recklessness  of  a  young  sailor  I  hesitated  not  to 
indulge  freely  in  this  pleasant  and  healthy  exercise  in  the 
harbor  of  St  Pierre. 

I  was  careful,  however,  to  follow  the  advice  of  a  veteran 
tar,  to  keep  in  motion  while  in  the  water.  The  shark,  un- 
less very  ferocious  and  hungry,  will  not  attack  a  man  while 
he  is  swimming,  or  performing  other  aquatic  evolutions. 
At  such  times  he  will  remain  quiet,  close  at  hand,  eyeing 
his  intended  victim  with  an  eager  and  affectionate  look ; 
but  the  moment  the  unsuspecting  swimmer  throws  him- 
self on  his  back,  begins  to  tread  water,  or  discontinues 
the  exercise  of  swimming  preparatory  to  getting  on  board, 
this  man-eating  rascal  will  pounce  on  a  leg  or  an  arm,  drag 


SCENES    IX    CHARLESTON.  85 

his  victim  beneath  the  surface,  and  accomplish  the  dread- 
ful work. 

After  the  many  unfavorable  specimens  of  "old  salts" 
I  had  met  with,  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  two 
of  the  crew  of  the  John  were  educated  men.  One  of 
these  was  the  son  of  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Boston,  who 
lived  in  the  style  of  a  prince  at  the  "  North  End."  This 
young  sailor  had  been  wild  and  dissipated,  and  had  lost 
for  a  time  the  confidence  of  his  relatives,  and  as  a  matter 
of  course,  went  to  sea.  He  made  a  good  sailor;  and  while 
I  knew  him  in  St.  Pierre,  and  during  the  subsequent  years 
of  his  life,  his  conduct  was  in  every  way  correct.  His  con- 
versation was  improving,  and  his  chest  was  well  stored 
with  books,  which  he  cheerfully  loaned,  and  to  which  I 
was  indebted  for  many  happy  hours. 

The  other  was  an  Irishman  by  birth,  prematurely  aged, 
of  diminutive  stature,  and  unprepossessing  appearance. 
He  had  been  many  years  at  sea  ;  had  witnessed  perilous 
scenes ;  had  fought  for  his  life  with  the  savages  on  board 
the  Atahualpa  on  "  the  north-west  coast ; "  had  served  in 
an  English  man-of-war,  from  which  he  escaped  by  swimming 
ashore,  a  distance  of  several  miles,  one  night  while  cruising 
off  the  island  of  Antigua.  He  reached  the  land  completely 
exhausted  —  more  dead  than  alive  —  and  was  concealed 
for  a  time  among  the  slave  habitations  on  one  of  the  plan- 
tations. 

Little  Jack,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  a  type  of 
the  old  sailor  of  those  days,  so  far  as  his  habits  and  gen- 
eral conduct  was  concerned.  He  was  reckless,  bold,  dis- 
solute, generous,  never  desponding,  ever  ready  for  a  drunken 
frolic  or  a  fight,  to  do  a  good  deed,  plan  a  piece  of  mischief, 
or  head  a  revolt.  He  seemed  to  find  enjoyment  in' every 
change  which  his  strange  destiny  presented.  And  this 
man,  who  seemed  at  home  in  a  ship's  forecastle,  or  when 
mingling  with  the  lowest  dregs  of  society,  had  been  edu- 
cated at  Trinity  College,  Dublin.  He  was  well  read  in 


86  JACK    IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

the  classics,  and  familiar  with  the  writings  of  the  old  Brit- 
ish poets.  He  could  quote  elaborate  passages  from  the 
best  authors,  and  converse  fluently  and  learnedly  on  almost 
any  subject. 

Notwithstanding  his  cultivated  mind  and  intellectual 
powers,  which  should  have  placed  him  in  a  high  position 
in  society,  he  appeared  satisfied  with  his  condition,  ami 
aspired  to  no  loftier  sphere  than  that  of  a  common  sailor. 
We  often  meet  with  anomalies  in  the  human  character, 
for  which  it  would  puzzle  the  most  learned  psychologist  to 
account.  What  strange  and  sad  event  had  occurred  in  the 
early  part  of  that  man's  career,  to  change  the  current  of  his 
fortune,  and  make  him  contented  in  a  condition  so  humble, 
and  a  slave  to  habits  so  degrading?  His  story,  if  faithfully 
told,  might  furnish  a  record  of  ambitious  projects  and  san- 
guine expectations,  followed  by  blighted  hopes  which  pal- 
sied all  succeeding  exertions,  and  plunged  him  into  the 
depths  of  dissipation  and  vice. 

Captain  Turner  and  the  worthy  master  of  the  John,  the 
better  to  conceal  their  iniquities  from  the  lynx-eyed  satel- 
lites of  the  law,  agreed  to  make  an  exchange  of  vessels, 
both  having  been  officially  condemned  as  unseaworthy. 
For  an  equivalent,  the  schooner  was  to  be  laden  with  a 
cargo,  principally  of  molasses,  and  properly  furnished  with 
stores,  provisions,  and  water,  for  a  passage  to  the  United 
States  by  the  way  of  St.  Bartholomew.  The  crews  of  the 
two  vessels  were  then  to  be  interchanged,  and  Captain 
Turner,  his  mate  and  crew,  were  to  take  up  their  quar- 
ters in  the  John. 

The  arrangement  was  earned  into  effect;  but  two  of 
the  Dolphin's  crew,  dissatisfied  with  the  proceedings  on 
board  the  brig,  and  thinking  matters  would  not  be  im- 
proved by  a  transfer  to  the  schooner,  and  being  under  no 
obligation  to  follow  Captain  Turner  to  another  vessel,  de- 
manded their  discharge.  In  their  stead  he  shipped  a  boy, 
about  fourteen  years  of  age,  whom  he  had  persuaded  to 


THE    WINDWARD    ISLANDS.  87 

run  away  from  an  English  merchant  ship,  in  which  he  was 
an  apprentice,  and  an  old  Frenchman,  who  had  served 
many  years  in  the  carpenter's  gang  in  a  French  man-ot- 
war,  and  who  understood  hardly  a  word  of  the  English 
language. 

We  sailed  from  St.  Pierre  the  day  after  we  had  taken 
possession  of  the  schooner,  bound  directly  for  St.  Bar- 
tholomew. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE     WINDWARD     ISLANDS. 

IT  is  well  known  that  one  of  the  principal  reasons  for 
the  declaration  of  war  against  Great  Britain  in  1812,  were 
the  insults  heaped  on  the  American  flag,  in  every  sea, 
by  the  navy  of  Great  Britain.  The  British  government 
claimed  and  exercised  the  right  to  board  our  ships,  impress 
their  crews  when  not  natives  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
amine their  cargoes,  and  subject  our  citizens  navigating  the 
high  seas,  to  inconvenience,  detention,  and  conduct  often  of 
an  annoying  and  insulting  character.  The  British  govern- 
ment contended  that  the  flag  which  waved  over  the  decks  of 
our  ships  should  be  no  protection  to  our  ships  or  seamen. 
For  years  our  merchant  vessels  were  compelled  to  submit 
to  such  degrading  insults  from  the  navy  of  Great  Britain. 

The  mode  of  exercising  this  "  right  of  search,"  so  far  as 
relates  to  the  impressment  of  seamen,  I  have  already  had 
occasion  to  illustrate,  and  the  incident  which  I  now  relate 
will  explain  with  tolerable  clearness  the  mode  in  which 
the  British  exercised  this  right  in  relation  to  property. 

Previously  to  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  a  profitable 
trade  was  carried  on  between  the  United  States  and  the 
English  West  India  Islands.  The  exports  from  the 


JACK    IK    THE    FORECASTLE. 

islands  were  limited  chiefly  to  molasses  and  rum ;  sugar 
and  coffee  being  prohibited  in  American  bottoms.  Accord- 
ing to  the  British  interpretation  of  the  "  right  to  search," 
every  American  vessel  which  had  taken  in  a  cargo  in  a 
British,  or  any  other  port,  was  liable  to  be  searched,  from 
the  truck  to  the  keelson,  by  any  British  cruiser  when  met 
with  on  the  high  seas.  And  this  inquisitorial  process  was 
submitted  to  as  a  matter  of  course,  though  not  without 
murmurs  loud  and  deep,  from  those  who  were  immediately 
exposed  to  the  inconveniences  attending  this  arbitrary  ex- 
ercise of  power. 

On  the  afternoon  succeeding  the  day  on  which  the 
schooner  John  left  Martinico,  as  we  were  quietly  sailing 
along  with  a  light  breeze,  under  the  lee  of  the  mountain- 
ous Island  of  Gaudaloupe,  we  saw  a  large  ship  at  anchor 
on  a  bank  about  a  mile  from  the  land,  with  the  British 
ensign  at  her  peak,  and  a  pennant  streaming  from  her 
mast-head,  —  sufficient  indications  that  we  had  fallen  in 
with  one  of  John  Bull's  cruisers.  But  Captain  Turner,  con- 
scious that  his  schooner  was  an  American  vessel,  and  had 
been  regularly  cleared  at  St.  Pierre,  with  a  cargo  of  rum 
and  molasses,  and  there  being  no  suspicious  circumstances 
connected  with  her  appearance,  her  cargo,  or  her  papers, 
apprehended  no  detention  or  trouble  from  the  British  man- 
of-war. 

A  boat  was  soon  seen  to  put  off  from  the  frigate,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  it  was  alongside  the  John.  An  officer 
stepped  on  deck,  and  politely  asked  the  privilege  of  exam- 
ining the  ship's  papers.  This  was  accorded.  After  hav- 
ing ascertained  we  were  from  a  British  port,  the  officer 
coolly  remarked  it  would  be  necessary  to  take  the  schooner 
nearer  the  land  and.  bring  her  to  anchor,  in  order  to  in- 
stitute a  thorough  search  into  the  true  character  of  the 
cargo.  He  added  that  the  frigate  was  stationed  there  for 
the  express  purpose  of  intercepting  and  overhauling  such 
Yankee  vessels  as  might  pass  along. 


THE    WINDWARD    ISLANDS.  89 

A  signal  was  made  to  the  frigate,  and  two  additional 
boats  were  despatched,  which  took  our  small  vessel 
in  tow,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  we  found  ourselves 
at  anchor,  in  thirty  fathoms  of  water,  within  half  mus- 
ket shot  of  an  English  man-of-war.  The  launch  was 
soon  alongside,  the  hatchways  Avere  taken  off,  tackles 
AA'ere  rove,  and  a  gang  of  the  frigate's  creAV  Avent  to  work 
breaking  out  the  cargo  and  hoisting  it  into  the  launch. 
After  the  launch  and  other  boats  were  laden,  they  hoisted 
the  casks  on  deck,  and  continued  the  operations  in  no  gen- 
tle manner  until  they  reached  the  ground  tier.  They  thus 
examined  every  cask,  but  found  nothing  but  molasses  and 
rum. 

They  then  commenced  "stowing  the  cargo,"  as  they 
called  it ;  and  the  hogsheads  of  molasses  were  tossed  into 
the  hold,  and  handled  as  roughly  as  hogsheads  of  tobacco. 
It  was  about  sunset  on  the  following  day  Avhen  the  last 
cask  was  stowed.  The  anchor  was  then  Aveighed,  the  sails 
set,  and  the  lieutenant,  having  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
captain  a  certificate  from  the  commander  of  the  frigate 
that  the  schooner  had  been  searched,  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  a  repetition  of  that  agreeable  ceremony,  told 
him  he  Avas  at  liberty  to  go  where  he  thought  proper,  and 
politely  wished  him  a  pleasant  voyage. 

Our  vessel  Avas  thus  detained  twenty-four  hours;  and  in 
consequence  of  this  detention,  the  passage  to  St.  Bar- 
tholomew was  lengthened  several  days,  as  a  calm  com- 
menced soon  after  we  Avere  liberated,  which  lasted  that 
time.  The  cargo  also  receiAred  injury  from  the  rough 
handling  of  the  British  tars,  insomuch  that  before  we 
reached  St.  Bartholomew  several  casks  had  lost  nearly 
all  their  contents ;  and  if  Ave  had  been  bound  directly  to 
the  United  States,  it  is  probable  that  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  cargo  would  haA'e  been  pumped  out  with  the 
bilge  Avater. 

This  is  only  one  of  a  thousand  cases  which  might  be 


90  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

cited  to  show  the  principle  on  which  the  British  acted 
towards  neutral  powers  on  the  broad  ocean,  as  well  as  in 
the  British  waters,  at  that  time.  The  British  govern- 
ment, since  the  war  of  181'2,  have  attempted  by  negotia- 
tions to  reestablish  this  principle.  But  the  attempt  has 
been  firmly  and  successfully  resisted ;  and  it  may  be  safely 
predicted  that  this  "right"  will  never  again  be  claimed 
by  Great  Britain,  or  conceded  by  the  United  States. 

Our  government,  which  is  a  government  of  the  people, 
and  supported  mainly  by  commerce,  cannot  be  too  vigi- 
lant and  firm  in  its  endeavors  to  protect  the  persons  and 
property  of  our  citizens  on  the  ocean  against  the  oppres- 
sion or  outrages  of  any  naval  power.  Let  us,  as  an  hon- 
orable, high-minded  nation,  cordially  cooperate  with  any 
other  nation  in  attempts  to  check  and  destroy  the  traffic 
in  slaves,  so  revolting  in  its  character,  which  is  carried  on 
between  Africa  and  places  on  this  continent.  Let  us  be 
a  party  to  any  honorable  treaty  having  this  for  its  object; 
but  let  us  never  listen  to  the  idea  that  the  American  flag, 
waving  at  the  peak  or  masthead  of  an  American  vessel, 
is  no  protection  to  the  property  on  board,  or  the  liberties 
of  the  passengers  and  crew. 

Captain  Turner  promptly  availed  himself  of  the  per- 
mission so  graciously  given  by  the  commander  of  the 
British  cruiser,  and  we  proceeded  on  our  way  to  St.  Bar- 
tholomew. There  is  probably  no  sailing  in  the  world 
more  pleasant  and  interesting  than  among  the  group  of 
beautiful  islands  reaching  from  Trinidad  to  St.  Barthol- 
omew. With  a  smooth  sea  and  a  gentle,  refreshing  trade 
wind,  as  the  vessel  glides  past  these  emerald  gems  of  the 
ocean,  a  picturesque  and  ever-varying  landscape  is  pro- 
duced, as  if  by  the  wand  of  some  powerful  enchanter. 
Grenada,  the  Grenadines,  St.  Vincent,  St.  Lucia,  Mar- 
tinico,  Dominica,  Guadaloupe,  Montserrat,  Saba,  St.  Kitts, 
Nevis,  and  St.  Bartholomew,  all  seem  to  pass  in  swift  suc- 
cession before  the  eye  of  the  observer. 


THE    WINDWARD    ISLANDS. 

These  islands  are  all,  with  the  exception  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew, more  or  less  cultivated,  but  being  moun- 
tainous and  of  volcanic  origin,  the  productive  lands  lie 
on  the  base  of  the  mountains,  or  on  the  spacious  inter- 
vals and  valleys  near  the  sea  shore.  Studded  with  planta- 
tions, each  of  which  resembles  a  little  village  planned  by 
some  skilful  landscape  gardener ;  with  crystal  streams 
dashing  down  the  mountain  sides ;  with  dense  forests  cov- 
ering the  high  lands  and  mountain  summits ;  with  bays 
and  indentations  along  the  coast,  each  with  a  thriving 
village  at  the  extremity,  defended  by  fortifications  ;  with 
ships  at  auchor  in  the  roadsteads,  and  droghers  coasting 
along  the  shores ;  with  an  atmosphere  richly  laden  with 
sweets,  and  all  the  interesting  associations  connected 
with  a  tropical  climate  ;  these  islands  furnish  an  array  of 
attractions  which  are  hardly  surpassed  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere.  The  beautiful  description  in  the  song  of 
JMignon,  in  the  "  Wilhelm  Meister "  of  Goethe,  of  a  land 
of  fruits  and  flowers,  will  apply  with  singular  felicity  to 
these  Windward  Islands : 

"  Know'st  thou  the  land  where  the  pale  citron  grows, 
And  the  gold  orange  through  dark  foliage  glows  ? 
A  soft  wind  flutters  from  the  deep  blue  sky, 
The  myrtle  blooms,  and  towers  the  laurel  high. 
Know'st  thou  it  well  ? " 

I  have  sometimes  wondered  why  the  capitalists  of  New 
England,  in  search  of  recreation  and  pleasure  for  them- 
selves and  families,  instead  of  crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
visit  the  oft-described  and  stale  wonders  of  the  Old 
World,  do  not  charter  a  yacht  or  a  packet  schooner,  and 
with  a  goodly  company  take  a  trip  to  the  West  Indies, 
sail  around  and  among  these  islands,  visit  places  of  inter- 
est, accept  the  hospitality  of  the  planters,  which  is  always 
freely  bestowed,  and  thus  secure  a  fund  of  rational  enjoy- 
ment, gratify  a  laudable  curiosity  in  relation  to  the  man- 
ners and  habits  of  the  people  of  the  torrid  zone,  and  bring 


92  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

away  a  multitude  of  agreeable  impressions  on  their  minds, 
which  will  keep  vivid  and  fresh  the  remainder  of  their 
lives. 

After  leaving  Martinico,  we  found,  on  broaching  our 
provisions,  that  they  were  of  bad  quality, —  of  the  worst 
possible  description.  The  bread,  deposited  in  bags,  was 
of  a  dark  color,  coarse  texture,  and  French  manufacture. 
It  must  have  been  of  an  inferior  kind  when  new  and 
fresh,  and  a  long  tarry  in  a  tropical  climate  was  not  cal- 
culated to  improve  its  character.  Besides  being  mouldy, 
it  was  dotted  with  insects,  of  an  unsightly  appearance  and 
unsavory  flavor.  The  quality  of  the  beef  was,  if  possible, 
worse  than  that  of  the  bread,  and  we  had  no  other  kinds 
of  provisions.  Before  we  arrived  at  St.  Bartholomcw 
the  water  began  to  give  signs  of  impurity.  The  casks, 
stowed  in  the  half-deck,  had  been  filled  through  a  mo- 
lasses hose.  In  all  likelihood,  the  hose  had  not  been 
cleansed,  and  the  sacchai-ine  property  of  the  molasses 
mingling  with  the  water  in  that  hot  climate  had  caused 
a  fermentation,  the  effect  of  which  was  nauseous  to  the 
taste  and  unpleasant  to  the  eye.  We  consoled  ourselves, 
however,  with  the  idea  that  the  passage  would  be  a 
short  one,  —  only  a  few  days,  —  and  that  better  pro- 
visions would  be  furnished  when  we  reached  St.  Barthol- 
omew. 

The  Island  of  St.  Bartholomew  is  a  mountainous  rock, 
three  or  four  miles  in  diameter,  with  here  and  there  a  few 
patches  of  verdure,  but  destitute  of  trees  or  cultivated 
lands.  The  inhabitants  are  dependent  on  the  neighbor- 
ing islands,  and  importations  from  distant  countries,  for 
the  means  of  sustaining  life.  Even  water  for  drinking 
and  culinary  purposes  is  brought  from  St.  Martin,  Nevis, 
or  St.  Kitts.  It  has  a  snug  harbor  on  the  western  side, 
easy  of  access,  in  which  many  vessels  can  lie  safely 
moored,  excepting  in  a  hurricane.  Indeed,  there  is  hardly 
a  harbor  in  the  Windward  Islands,  north  of  Grenada, 


THE    WINDWARD    ISLANDS.  93 

where  d,  vessel  can  be  secure  during  the  hurricane  months. 
These  tempests,  when  blowing  from  any  quarter,  seem  to 
defy  all  the  efforts  of  man  to  withstand  their  violence ; 
twist  the  ships  from  their  anchors,  force  them  on  the  reefs 
or  drive  them  out  to  sea,  sometimes  without  ballast  or  the 
fraction  of  a  crew. 

It  may  appear  singular  that  St.  Bartholomew,  with  no 
productions  whatever,  and  lying  almost  in  the  midst  of 
the  most  fertile  and  productive  of  the  Windward  Islands, 
should  nevertheless  have  been  a  place  of  great  trade,  and 
at  certain  times  the  most  important  depot  for  merchan- 
dise in  those  islands.  St.  Bartholomew  has  belonged  to 
Sweden  during  the  whole  of  the  present  century ;  and 
Sweden  having  been  occasionally  exempted  from  the 
wars  waged  against  each  other  by  England  and  France, 
this  island,  of  no  intrinsic  value  in  itself,  became  a  sort 
of  neutral  ground ;  a  port  where  all  nations  could  meet 
on  friendly  terms  ;  where  traders  belonging  to  England, 
France,  the  United  States,  or  other  powers,  could  deposit 
or  sell  their  goods,  purchase  West  India  produce,  and 
transact  business  of  any  description. 

At  the  time  to  which  I  refer,  —  in  1810,  —  the  "Orders 
in  Council "  of  England,  and  the  w  Berlin  and  Milan 
Decrees  "  of  Napoleon,  were  in  force.  As  a  counteracting 
stroke  of  policy,  the  Non-intercourse  Act,  to  which  I  have 
already  alluded,  was  passed  by  our  government,  and  the 
neutral  port  of  St.  Bartholomew  suddenly  became  a  place 
of  immense  importance.  When  we  entered  the  harbor 
in  the  John,  it  was  with  difficulty  that  a  berth  could  be 
found ;  at  least  two  hundred  and  fifty  vessels,  a  large 
portion  of  which  were  Americans,  were  in  port,  dis- 
charging or  taking  in  cargo.  Captain  Turner  found  no 
trouble  in  selling  his  molasses.  He  dared  not  run  the 
risk  of  taking  it  to  the  United  States,  lest  his  roguery 
should  be  discovered  through  some  flaw  in  his  papers,.and 
his  vessel  and  cargo  seized  by  revenue  officers.  He  iv- 


94  JACK   IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

tained  only  a  few  casks  of  rum,  sufficient  to  pay  port 
charges,  and  prepared  to  sail  for  a  southern  port. 

Shortly  before  we  arrived  at  St.  Bartholomew,  a  ship 
belonging  to  Connecticut,  in  consequence  of  some  irreg- 
ularity in  her  proceedings,  was  seized  by  the  authorities 
and  taken  possession  of  by  a  guard  of  ten  or  a  dozen  sol- 
diers. The  ship  was  about  ready  for  sea  when  this  event 
took  place;  and  on  the  following  day,  according  to  a 
preconcerted  plan  between  the  captain  and  Mr.  Arnold, 
the  supercargo,  the  officers  and  crew  rose  upon  the  sol- 
diers, deprived  them  of  their  arms,  and  forced  them  be- 
low. Then  they  quietly  slipped  the  cables,  and  let  the 
ship  drift  gradually  out  of  the  harbor,  until  past  the  ship- 
ping, when  every  sail  was  instantly  spread,  as  if  by  magic, 
and  before  the  mystified  garrison  of  the  fort  could  under- 
stand the  curious  manoeuvre,  realize  the  audacity  of  the 
Yankees,  and  get  ready  their  guns,  the  ship  was  beyond 
the  reach  of  their  shot.  In  the  offing  the  ship  fell  in  with 
one  of  the  large  boats  trading  between  St.  Bartholomew 
and  St.  Martin,  and  put  the  soldiers  on  board,  who  were 
thus  promptly  returned  to  their  barracks. 

The  Swedish  authorities  were  justly  indignant  at  siich 
high-handed  proceedings.  Arnold  remained  behind  to 
transact  some  unfinished  business,  but  was  arrested  and 
thrown  into  prison,  where  he  remained  several  weeks. 
Seeing  no  prospect  of  being  released,  he  feigned  insanity, 
and  acted  the  madman  to  the  life ;  insomuch  that  the 
authorities  were  glad  to  discharge  him  on  condition  that 
his  friends  would  send  him  from  the  island. 

During  the  year  1809,  a  French  privateer,  called  the 
Superior,  a  large  schooner  of  the  "  Baltimore  pilot  boat " 
model,  was  the  terror  of  the  British  in  the  Caribbean  Seas. 
The  pilot  boats  built  at  Baltimore,  to  cruise  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Chesapeake,  have  ever  been  celebrated  for  their 
sailing  qualities,  especially  their  ability  to  beat  to  wind- 
ward; and  vessels  of  larger  size  than  the  pilot  boats, 


THE    WINDWARD    ISLANDS.  95 

reaching  to  the  capacity  of  three  hundred  tons,  but  built 
according  to  this  peculiar  Baltimore  model,  were  for 
many  years  acknowledged  the  swiftest  class  of  sailing 
vessels  in  any  country  at  any  period.  At  what  particular 
time  this  model  was  introduced,  it  may  be  difficult  to 
ascertain  ;  but  as  early  as  the  period  to  which  I  refer,  the 
term  "Baltimore  clipper"  was  a  familiar  term.  Num- 
bers of  them  were  sold  to  individuals  residing  in  ports 
belonging  to  the  belligerent  powers,  and  commissioned 
as  privateers ;  others  were  purchased  for  slavers ;  and 
during  the  wars  carried  on  by  Spain  and  Portugal  with 
their  provinces  in  South  America,  the  "Baltimore  clip- 
pers "  made  a  conspicuous  figure,  —  being  fitted  out  as 
privateers  and  manned  in  the  ports  of  a  nation  which 
held  out  to  them  the  olive  branch  of  peace. 

The  privateer  Superior  was  commanded  by  a  braA-e 
and  energetic  Frenchman,  who  took  a  singular  pleasure 
in  inflicting  injuries  on  British  commerce.  This  privateer, 
fitted  out  at  Port  Royal  hi  Martinico,  was  said  to  have 
been  the  fastest  vessel  ever  known  among  the  islands, 
and  her  commander  laughed  to  scorn  the  attempts  made 
to  capture  him  by  the  finest  vessels  in  the  English  navy. 
Indeed,  the  Superior  seemed  to  be  ubiquitous.  One  day 
she  would  be  seen  hovering  off  the  island  of  Antigua, 
and  after  pouncing  on  an  unfortunate  English  ship,  would 
take  out  the  valuables  and  specie,  if  there  were  any  on 
board,  transfer  the  officers  and  crew  to  a  drogher  bound 
into  the  harbor,  and  then  scuttle  the  vessel.  On  the  day 
following,  a  ship  would  be  seen  on  fire  off  Montserrat  or 
St.  Kitts,  which  would  prove  to  have  been  an  English 
merchantman  captured  and  destroyed  by  the  Superior; 
and  perhaps,  a  few  days  afterwards,  this  privateer  would 
be  pursuing  a  similar  career  on  the  shores  of  Barbadoes, 
far  to  windward,  or  levying  contributions  fi'om  the  plan- 
ters on  the  coasts  of  Grenada  or  Trinidad. 

Indeed,  the  sailing  qualities  of  this  privateer  were  a 


96  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

marvel  to  all  "  old  salts ; "  and  many  an  honest  man  who 
had  never  heard  of  a  "  Baltimore  pilot  boat  built "  craft, 
was  sorely  puzzled  to  account  for  the  success  of  the  Supe- 
rior in  avoiding  the  many  traps  that  had  been  set  by  the 
long-headed  officers  of  the  British  ships  on  that  station. 
By  many  it  was  believed  that  the  French  captain  had 
unlawful  dealings  with  the  enemy  of  mankind,  and  for 
the  pleasure  of  annoying  the  English,  and  the  gratifica- 
tion of  filling  his  pockets  with  the  spoils  of  the  enemies 
'of  France,  had  signed  away  his  soul ! 

The  company  of  men-of-war  seemed  to  be  no  protection 
against  capture  by  this  privateer.  A  fleet  of  merchant- 
men, convoyed  by  several  armed  ships,  would  be  intruded 
on  during  the  night,  and  one  or  more  of  them  captured 
without  alarm,  and  then  rifled,  and  scuttled  or  burned. 
On  one  occasion,  after  combined  efforts  had  been  made  to 
capture  the  Siiperior,  and  it  was  believed  that  vessel  had 
been  driven  from  those  seas,  a  homeward  bound  fleet  of 
merchantmen,  on  the  first  night  after  leaving  Antigua, 
was  approached  by  this  privateer,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
couple  of  hours  three  different  ships,  in  different  stations 
of  the  squadron,  had  been  captured,  plundered,  and  fired 
by  that  indefatigable  enemy  of  the  English. 

At  last,  one  after  another,  every  French  port  in  the 
islands  was  taken  by  the  British,  and  there  was  no  longer 
a  nook  belonging  to  France  to  which  this  privateer  could 
resort  for  protection,  supplies,  or  repairs.  It  was  further- 
more rumored  that  this  vessel  was  not  regularly  com- 
missioned ;  and  that,  if  captured  by  an  enemy,  the  officers 
and  crew  to  a  man,  and  the  captain  more  especially, 
would  be  hanged  at  the  yard  arm,  as  pirates,  without  any 
very  formal  process  of  law. 

The  privateer  was  by  this  time  well  laden  with  spoils, 
having  on  board,  in  silks,  specie,  gums,  and  bullion,  prop- 
erty to  the  amount  of  nearly  a  million  of  dollars.  One 
fine  morning,  a  British  sloop-of-war,  cruising  between 


THE    \VINDW  A.KD    ISLANDS.  97 

Xcvis  and  St.  Bartholomew,  was  astonished  at  beholding 
the  Superior,  —  that  "  rascally  French  privateer,"  as  well 
known  in  those  seas  as  the  Flying  Dutchman  off  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  —  come  down  from  the  windward  side  of 
St.  Bartholomew  under  easy  sail,  pass  round  the  southern 
point  of  the  island,  hoist  the  tri-colored  flag,  as  if  by  way 
of  derision,  and  boldly  enter  the  harbor  belonging  to  the 
Swedish  government,  and  a  neutral  port. 

It  was  not  many  hours  before  the  sloop-of-war,  having 
hauled  her  wind,  was  off  the  harbor,  lying  off  and  on ; 
and  the  captain,  in  full  uniform,  his  mouth  filled  with 
menaces  and  denunciations  of  British  vengeance,  and  his 
cranium  well  crammed  with  quotations  from  Vattel,  Gro- 
tius,  Puffendorf,  and  other  venerable  worthies,  was  on  his 
way  to  the  shore  in  a  state  of  great  excitement.  When 
he  reached  the  landing,  he  found  only  the  hull  of  the 
privateer,  with  the  spare  and  rigging.  The  officers  and 
crew  had  already  disappeared,  each  carrying  off  his  por- 
tion of  the  spoils.  The  captain  was  not  visible ;  but  it 
was  said  he  left  the  island  a  few  days  afterwards  for 
the  United  States,  under  an  assumed  name,  whence 
lie  subsequently  proceeded  to  France,  with  an  immense 
amount  of  property,  which  the  fortune  of  war  had  trans- 
ferred from  British  subjects  to  his  pockets.  The  schooner 
was  hauled  up  to  the  head  of  the  careenage,  and  on  exam- 
ination it  appeared  that  every  part  of  the  vessel  had  been 
so  strained  by  carrying  sail,  and  so  much  damage  had 
been  done  to  her  planks  and  timbers  by  worms,  that  she 
was  good  for  nothing.  The  spars,  sails,  and  rigging  were 
sold  ;  but  the  hull,  which  soon  filled  with  water,  remains  1 
for  years,  admired  by  every  genuine  sailor  as  the  most 
perfect  model  of  a  fast-sailing  vessel  that  could  be  devised 
by  the  ingenuity  of  man. 

When  the  schooner  John  was  nearly  ready  for  sea,  my 
uncle,  Captain  Tilton,  whom  I  had  left  in  Charleston, 
arrived  in  port  in  a  clipper  schooner  called  the  Edwin. 

9 


98  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

He  was  bound  for  Mobile,  where  he  intended  establishing 
a  mercantile  house  in  connection  with  a  gentleman  named 
Waldron,  a  native  of  Portsmouth,  who  had  resided  several 
years  in  Charleston.  I  had  one  brief  interview  with  him, 
but  no  opportunity  offered  of  entering  into  the  details  of 
my  unenviable  position  on  board  the  John.  On  a  hint 
from  me  that  I  was  dissatisfied,  and  should  not  object  to 
accompany  him  in  the  Edwin,  he  gravely  shook  his  head, 
and  remarked  that  such  a  course  would  be  unusual  and 
improper;  that  he  was  about  to  retire  from  the  sea;  that 
it  would  be  best  for  me  to  stick  by  Captain  Turner,  in 
whom  I  should  always  find  a  friend,  and  perform  the  whole 
voyage  I  had  undertaken. 

He  left  the  port  on  the  following  day,  bound  for  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  I  never  saw  him  again.  He  encoun- 
tered a  "norther"  on  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and  the  Edwin 
struck  on  the  Colorado  Reef,  and  all  on  board  perished ! 

It  was  believed  that  Captain  Turner,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  would  procure  a  sufficient  quantity  of  good  water, 
and  some  tolerable  provisions  for  the  forecastle  hands,  be- 
fore we  proceeded  on  our  voyage.  But  our  worthy  cap- 
tain, who  was  a  great  worshipper  of  the  "  almighty  dollar," 
in  whatever  shape  it  appeared,  had  no  intentions  of  the 
kind.  Water  was  scarce,  and  cost  ten  dollars  a  cask. 
Beef  and  bread  also  cost  money,  and  we  left  St.  Bartholo- 
mew with  only  the  wretched  apology  for  provisions  and 
water  which  were  put  on  board  in  Martinico. 

Probably  no  American  vessel  ever  left  a  port  with  such 
miserable  provisions  for  a  voyage.  Bread,  beef,  and  water 
constituted  our  variety.  We  had  no  rice,  beans,  Indian 
meal,  fish,  or  any  other  of  the  numerous  articles  usually 
furnished  by  merchants  for  the  sustenance  of  the  sailors 
who  navigate  their  ships  ;  and  such  beef,  bread,  and  water 
as  we  were  doomed  to  live  upon  for  three  successive  weeks 
after  we  left  St.  Bartholomew,  was  surely  never  prescribed 
by  the  most  rigid  anchorite  and  exacting  devotee  as  a 
punishment  for  the  sins  of  a  hardened  transgressor. 


ARRIVAL  AT    SAVANNAH.  99 

CHAPTER    IX. 

ARRIVAL     AT      SAVANNAH. 

CAPTAIN  TURNER,  on  being  urged  to  provide  some  pala- 
table food  and  drink,  declared  with  an  oath  that  he  did 
not  select  the  provisions  or  fill  the  water;  that  this  was 
done  by  others  who  knew  what  they  were  about ;  that 
every  thing  on  board  was  good  enough  for  us,  and  if  we 
did  not  like  it  we  might  starve  and  be  hanged! 

This  was  a  clincher  —  it  ended  the  argument.  There 
was  nothing  left  for  us  but  to  put  the  best  face,  even 
if  it  should  be  a  wry  face,  on  troubles  we  could  not  over- 
come or  diminish. 

In  a  choice  of  food  there  is  a  wide  difference  in  taste. 
One  people  will  regard  as  a  luxury  a  viand  or  condiment 
which  is  repugnant  to  another.  Locusts  have  been  used 
from  time  immemorial  for  food  by  different  tribes  of  Arabs. 
Snail  soup  was  once  regarded  in  Europe  as  a  delicious 
dish.  In  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  the  guano, 
a  species  of  lizard,  is  devoured  with  gusto.  Bird's  nests  com- 
mand enormous  prices  as  an  edible  in  China,  where  also  dogs 
and  cats  are  ordinary  food.  At  Rome  camels'  heels  were  a 
tidbit  for  an  epicure.  Whale's  tongues  ranked  among  the 
delicacies  feasted  on  by  the  Europeans  in  the  middle  cen- 
turies. The  bark  of  the  palm  tree  is  the  abiding  place  of 
a  large  worm,  which  is  sought  for,  roasted,  and  devoured 
as  a  delicacy.  In  Brazil,  a  monkey  pie  is  a  favorite  dish, 
and  the  head  of  the  monkey  is  made  to  protrude  and 
show  its  teeth  above  the  crust  by  way  of  ornament.  In- 
deed, habit,  we  are  told,  will  reconcile  a  person  to  unsavory 
diet.  But  neither  habit  nor  necessity  could  reconcile  me 
to  the  food  and  drink  which,  to  sustain  life,  I  was  com- 
pelled to  swallow  on  board  the  John. 


100  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

The  water,  owing  to  causes  to  which  I  have  already 
alluded,  was  exceedingly  offensive  to  the  palate  and  the 
olfactories.  It  was  also  slimy  and  ropy;  and  was  drank 
only  as  a  means  —  and  a  wretched  one  —  of  prolonging 
life.  For  the  inmates  of  the  cabin  the  water  was  boiled  or 
diluted  with  brandy,  which,  in  a  slight  degree,  lessened  its 
disgusting  flavor.  But  this  was  a  luxury  that  was  denied 
the  seamen,  who  had  to  quaff  it  in  all  its  richness. 

Our  beef,  in  quality,  was  on  a  par  with  the  water.  It 
was  Irish  beef,  so  called,  wretchedly  poor  when  packed ; 
but  having  been  stored  in  a  hot  climate,  probably  for 
years,  it  had  lost  what  little  excellence  it  once  possessed, 
and  acquired  other  qualities  of  which  the  packer  never 
dreamed.  The  effluvia  arising  from  a  barrel  of  this  beef, 
when  opened,  was  intolerable.  When  boiled  in  clean  salt 
water  the  strong  flavor  was  somewhat  modified,  and  it 
was  reduced  by  shrinkage  at  least  one  half.  The  palate 
could  not  become  reconciled  to  it;  and  the  longer  we 
lived  upon  it  the  less  we  liked  it. 

But  our  bread !  What  shall  I  say  of  our  bread  ?  I 
have  already  spoken  of  it  as  mouldy  and  animated.  On 
several  occasions,  in  the  course  of  my  adventures,  I  have 
seen  ship  bread  which  could  boast  of  those  abominable  at- 
tributes, remnants  of  former  voyages  put  on  board  ships 
by  unfeeling  skinflints,  to  be  "  used  up  "  before  the  new 
provisions  were  broached,  but  I  never  met  with  any 
which  possessed  those  attributes  to  the  extent  which  was 
the  case  on  board  the  schooner  John.  Although  many 
years  have  passed  since  I  was  supported  and  invigorated 
by  that  "  staff  of  life,"  I  cannot  even  now  think  of  it  with- 
out a  shudder  of  disgust !  On  placing  a  biscuit  by  my 
side  when  seated  upon  deck,  it  would  actually  be  put  in 
motion  by  some  invisible  machinery,  and  if  thrown  on  the 
hot  coals  in  order  to  destroy  the  living  works  within,  and 
prevent  the  biscuit  from  walking  off,  it  would  make  an  an- 
gry sputtering  wondrous  to  hear ! 


ARRIVAL    AT    SAVAXXAH.  101 

Such  was  the  character  of  our  food  and  drink  on  our 
passage  to  the  United  States.  It  initiated  me,  even  at  the 
beginning  of  my  sea-going  career,  into  the  most  repulsive 
mysteries  of  a  seaman's  life.  And  whenever,  in  subse- 
quent voyages,  I  have  been  put  upon  poor  diet,  I  mentally 
contrasted  it  with  the  wretched  fare  during  my  second 
voyage  to  sea,  smacked  my  lips,  and  called  it  luxury. 

Steering  to  the  northward  we  passed  near  the  Island 
of  Sombrero,  glided  from  the  Caribbean  Sea  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  and  wended  our  way  towards  the  Caro- 
linas. 

Sombrero  is  an  uninhabited  island,  a  few  miles  only  in 
circumference.  It  offers  to  the  dashing  waves  on  every 
side  a  steep,  craggy  cliff,  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  high.  Its 
surface  is  flat,  and  entirely  destitute  of  vegetation  ;  and  at 
a  distance,  a  fanciful  imagination  can  trace,  in  the  outline 
of  the  island,  a  faint  resemblance  to  the  broad  Spanish 
hat,  called  a  "sombrero,"  from  which  it  takes  its  name. 

This  island,  as  well  as  all  the  other  uninhabited  islands 
in  that  part  of  the  world,  has  ever  been  a  favorite  re- 
sort for  birds,  —  as  gulls  of  several  varieties,  noddies,  man- 
of-war  birds,  pelicans,  and  others.  It  has  recently  been 
ascertained  that  Sombrero  is  entitled  to  the  proud  appella- 
tion of  "a  guano  island,"  and  a  company  has  been  organ- 
ized, consisting  of  persons  belonging  to  New  England,  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  off  its  rich  deposits,  which  are  of  a 
peculiarly  valuable  character,  being  found  beneath  a  bed 
of  coral  limestone  several  feet  in  thickness,  and  must 
consequently  possess  all  the  advantages  which  antiquity 
can  confer. 

It  was  on  this  island,  many  years  ago,  that  an  English 
brig  struck  in  a  dark  night,  while  "  running  down  the 
trades."  The  officers  and  crew,  frightened  at  the  dashing 
of  the  breakers  and  the  gloomy  aspect  of  the  rocks  which 
frowned  upon  them  from  above,  made  their  escape  on 
shore  in  "  double  quick  time,"  some  of  them  marvellously 

9* 


102  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

thinly  clad,  even  for  a  warm  climate.  As  soon  as  they  had 
safely  landed  on  the  cliffs,  and  congratulated  each  other  on 
their  good  fortune,  the  brig,  by  a  heave  of  the  sea,  became 
disengaged  from  the  rocks,  and  floating  off",  drifted  to 
leeward,  to  the  great  mortification  of  the  crew,  and  was 
fallen  in  with  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  safe  and  sound, 
near  Anegada  Reef,  and  carried  into  St.  Thomas.  The 
poor  fellows,  who  manifested  such  alacrity  in  quitting  "  a 
sinking  ship,"  suffered  greatly  from  hunger  and  exposure. 
They  erected  a  sort  of  flagstaff,  on  which  they  displayed  a 
jacket  as  a  signal  of  distress,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days  were  taken  off  by  an  American  vessel  bound  to  Santa 
Cruz. 

The  feeling  which  prompts  a  person,  in  the  event  of  a 
sudden  danger  at  sea,  to  quit  his  own  vessel  and  look 
abroad  for  safety,  appears  to  be  instinctive.  In  cases  of 
collision,  portions  of  the  crews  are  sometimes  suddenly 
exchanged ;  and  a  man  will  find  himself,  unconscious  of, 
an  effort,  on  board  a  strange  vessel,  then  arouse  himself, 
as  if  from  an  unquiet  sleep,  and  return  to  his  ship  as  rap- 
idly as  he  left  her. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  vessels,  which  have  run  into 
each  other  in  the  night  time,  separate  under  circumstances 
causing  awkward  results.  The  ship  Pactolus,  of  Boston, 
bound  from  Hamburg  through  the  English  Channel,  while 
running  one  night  in  a  thick  fog  near  the  Goodwin  Sands, 
fell  in  with  several  Dutch  galliots,  lying  to,  waiting  for  day- 
light, and  while  attempting  to  steer  clear  of  one,  ran  foul 
of  another,  giving  the  Dutchman  a  terrible  shaking  and 
carrying  away  one  of  the  masts.  The  captain,  a  young 
man,  was  below,  asleep  in  his  berth,  dreaming,  it  may  be, 
of  happy  scenes  in  which  a  young  and  smiling  "Jung 
frow"  formed  a  prominent  object.  He  rushed  from  his 
berth,  believing  his  last  hour  was  come,  sprang  upon  deck, 
and  seeing  a  ship  alongside,  made  one  leap  into  the  chain- 
wales  of  the  strange  vessel,  and  another  one  over  the  rail 


ARRIVAL    AT    SAVANNAH.  103 

to  the  deck.  A  moment  afterwards  the  vessels  separated ; 
the  galliot  was  lost  sight  of  in  the  fog,  and  Mynheer  was 
astonished  to  find  himself,  while  clad  in  the  airy  costume 
of  a  shirt  and  drawers,  safely  and  suddenly  transferred 
from  his  comfortable  little  vessel  to  the  deck  of  an  Ameri- 
can ship  bound  across  the  Atlantic. 

The  poor  fellow  jabbered  away,  in  his  uncouth  native 
language,  until  his  new  shipmates  feared  his  jaws  would 
split  asunder.  They  furnished  him  with  garments,  enter- 
tained him  hospitably,  and  on  the  following  day  landed 
him  on  the  pier  at  Dover. 

We  met  with  no  extraordinary  occurrences  on  our  pas- 
sage to  the  United  States  until  we  reached  the  Gulf 
Stream,  noted  for  heavy  squalls,  thunder  storms,  and  a  tur- 
bulent sea,  owing  to  the  effect  on  the  atmosphere  produced 
by  the  difference  of  temperature  between  the  water  in  the 
current  and  the  water  on  each  side. 

The  night  on  which  we  entered  the  Gulf  Stream,  off 
the  coast  of  the  Carolinas,  the  weather  was  exceedingly 
suspicious.  Dark,  double-headed  clouds  hung  around  the 
horizon,  and  although  the  wind  was  light,  a  hurricane 
would  not  have  taken  us  by  surprise  at  any  moment;  and 
as  the  clouds  rose  slowly  with  a  threatening  aspect,  no 
calculation  could  be  made  on  which  side  the  tempest  would 
come.  The  lightnings  illumined  the  heavens,  serving  to 
render  the  gloom  more  conspicuous,  and  the  deep-toned 
rumblings  of  the  thunder  were  heard  in  the  distance. 

At  eight  o'clock,  when  the  watch  was  called,  the 
schooner  was  put  under  short  canvas,  and  due  preparations 
were  made  for  any  change  in  the  weather.  The  starboard 
watch  was  then  told  to  go  below,  but  to  "be  ready  for  a 
call."  This  watch,  all  told,  consisted  of  the  old  French 
carpenter  and  myself,  and  we  gladly  descended  into  the 
narrow,  leaky,  steaming  den,  called  the  forecastle, reposing 
full  confidence  in  the  vigilance  of  our  shipmates  in  the 
larboard  watch,  and  knowing  that  if  the  ship  should  be 


104  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

dismasted,  or  even  capsized,  while  we  were  quietly  sleep- 
ing below,  it  would  be  through  no  fault  of  ours,  and 
we  could  not  be  held  responsible.  In  five  minutes  after 
the  forescuttle  was  closed,  we  were  snugly  ensconced  in  our 
berths,  oblivious  of  squalls  and  gales,  and  all  the  disa- 
greeable duties  of  making  and  taking  in  sail  on  a  wet  and 
stormy  night,  enjoying  a  comfortable  nap  and  dreaming  of 
happy  times  on  shore. 

We  were  soon  aroused  from  our  dreams,  and  brought 
back  to  the  realities  of  life,  by  the  rough  voice  of  my  old 
shipmate,  Eastman,  yelling  out  in  tones  which  would  have 
carried  terror  to  the  soul  of  an  Indian  warrior,  "ALL 
HANDS  AHOY  !  Tumble  up,  lads !  Bear  a  hand  on  deck ! " 

I  jumped  out  of  my  berth,  caught  my  jacket  in  one 
hand,  and  my  tarpaulin  in  the  other,  and  hastened  on 
deck,  closely  followed  by  the  carpenter,  and  also  the  cook, 
whose  office  being  little  better  than  a  sinecure,  he  was 
called  upon  whenever  help  was  wanted.  The  wind  was 
blowing  a  gale,  and  the  rain  was  falling  in  heavy  drops, 
and  the  schooner  was  running  off  to  the  southward  at  a 
tremendous  rate,  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter. 

"  There  is  a  waterspout  after  us,"  exclaimed  Captain 
Turner,  as  we  made  our  appearance,  "  and  we  must  give  it 
the  slip,  or  be  grabbed  by  Davy  Jones.  Be  alive  for  once ! 
If  that  fellow  comes  over  us,  he  will  capsize,  perhaps 
sink  us !  Stand  by !  " 

I  looked  astern,  and  saw,  about  a  point  on  the  larboard 
quarter,  a  black,  misshapen  body,  which  seemed  to  reach 
from  the  heavens  down  to  the  surface  of  the  sea.  Al- 
though the  night  was  dark  as  Erebus,  this  mass  could 
easily  be  distinguished  from  the  thick  clouds  which  shut 
out  the  stars,  and  covered  the  whole  surface  of  the  sky. 
It  moved  towards  us  with  fearful  rapidity,  being  much 
fleeter  in  the  race  than  our  little  schooner. 

The  captain,  who,  to  do  him  justice,  was  not  only  a  good 
sailor,  but  cool  and  resolute  in  the  hour  of  danger,  would 


ARRIVAL    AT    SAVANNAH.  105 

fix  his  eye  one  moment  on  the  waterspout,  and  the  next 
on  the  compass,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  course  which 
this  unwelcome  visitor  was  taking.  A  minute  had  scarce- 
ly elapsed,  during  which  every  man  breathed  harder  and 
quicker  than  he  was  wont  to  do,  being  in  a  state  of  ago- 
nizing suspense,  when  Captain  Turner  decided  on  his  plan 
of  operations ;  and  it  was  time,  for  the  waterspout  was 
but  a  few  hundred  yards  off,  and  came  rushing  towards  us 
like  a  ferocious  monster  intent  on  mischief. 

"  Stand  by  to  gibe  ! "  cried  the  captain.  "  Hard  a-port 
your  helm !  Look  out  for  that  foresheet." 

As  the  schooner  fell  off  and  again  came  gradually  to 
the  wind,  she  shot  across  the  hawse  of  the  waterspout, 
which  swept  closely  along  under  our  stern,  almost  spatter- 
ing the  water  in  our  very  faces,  and  tearing  and  roaring 
like  the  cataract  of  Niagara ! 

We  watched  its  progress  with  thrilling  interest,  and 
when  it  got  upon  our  quarter,  and  we  were  convinced  it 
could  not  come  on  board,  Captain  Turner  called  out  in 
exulting  tones,  "  We  have  dodged  it  handsomely,  boys,  and 
cheated  Davy  Jones  of  his  prey  this  time.  Hurrah ! " 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  we  all  breathed  easier  as 
the  waterspout  sailed  majestically  away,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  was  out  of  sight.  This  was  one  of  those  occur- 
rences which  might  well  shake  the  nerves  of  the  most  firm 
and  courageous  tar.  Indeed,  the  whole  scene  on  that 
memorable  night  was  far  more  akin  to  the  sublime  than 
the  beautiful.  There  were  the  heavy  black  clouds  piled 
upon  each  other  near  the  horizon,  or  hanging  loosely  and 
dripping  overhead,  portending  a  fearful  conflict  among 
the  elements ;  there  was  the  wind,  which  came  in  fitful 
gusts,  whistling  and  singing  in  mournful  cadence  among 
the  blocks  and  rigging ;  there  was  the  agitated  and  fur- 
rowed face  of  the  ocean,  which  had  been  lashed  to  fury  by 
successive  storms,  and  lighted  up  in  every  direction  by 
innumerable  brilliant  phosphorescent  particles,  in  which,  it 


106  JACK  IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

is  well  known,  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  Stream  abound ; 
there  were  the  rolling  echoes  of  the  thunder,  and  the  zig- 
zag, chain  lightning,  which  every  few  seconds  enveloped 
the  heavens  and  the  ocean  in  a  frightful  livid  garment ; 
and,  as  if  to  cap  the  climax,  there  was  the  giant  column, 
darker,  much  darker  than  the  dark  clouds  around  us,  reach- 
ing from  those  clouds  and  resting  on  the  waters,  and  threat- 
ening to  sweep  our  whole  ship's  company  into  eternity. 

On  the  day  succeeding  our  adventure  with  the  water- 
spout, the  wind  died  away,  although  the  heavy  clouds  still 
hung  about  the  horizon.  The  schooner,  lying  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  was  fearfully  uneasy ;  but  towards  night  a 
regular  gale  of  wind  commenced,  and  our  vessel  was  hove 
to  under  a  double-reefed  foresail.  It  was  near  the  close 
of  the  first  watch  when  the  fore-topsail  getting  loose  on 
the  lee  yard  arm,  I  went  aloft  to  secure  it.  After  I  had 
accomplished  this  work,  I  lingered  a  few  minutes  on  the 
yard  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  storm.  The  waves,  urged 
by  the  fury  of  the  gale,  were  breaking  around  us  in  ma- 
jestic style ;  the  schooner  was  rocking  to  and  fro,  and  oc- 
casionally took  a  lee  lurch,  which  made  every  timber  in 
her  bottom  quiver. 

I  had  finished  my  survey  of  the  wind  and  weather,  and 
was  about  to  descend  to  the  deck,  when  I  carelessly  cast 
my  eyes  aloft,  and  there  beheld  a  sight  which  struck  terror 
to  my  soul.  On  the  very  summit  of  the  main-topmast  — 
on  the  truck  itself,  was  a  huge  ball  of  fire  !  It  seemed  a 
mass  of  unearthly  light  of  livid  hue,  which  shed  a  dismal 
radiance  around.  The  rain  fell  at  the  time,  but  quenched 
it  not ;  and  the  heaviest  gusts  of  wind  served  neither  to 
extinguish  it,  nor  increase  its  brilliancy.  It  kept  its  station 
xinmoved,  shining  terribly  through  the  storm,  like  some 
dread  messenger,  sent  by  a  superior  power  to  give  warn- 
ing of  impending  disaster. 

I  was  appalled  with  terror  at  the  sight.  Although  by 
no  means  credulous  or  superstitious,  I  could  hardly  resist 


ARRIVAL    AT    SAVANNAH.  107 

the  belief  that  this  globe  of  fire,  which  appeared  thus  sud- 
denly in  the  midst  of  a  furious  storm,  at  dead  of  night, 
and  on  a  spot  where  it  could  not  have  been  placed  or 
kindled  by  the  hand  of  man,  was  of  supernatural  origin. 
I  shuddered  with  fear;  a  strange  giddiness  came  over  me ; 
and  I  had  hardly  strength  to  cling  to  the  shrouds  as  I  de- 
scended to  the  deck. 

I  pointed  out  the  object  of  my  terror  to  my  watch-mate, 
the  French  carpenter,  who  gazed  at  it  earnestly,  and  then, 
turning  to  me,  nodded  his  head  emphatically  two  or  three 
times,  like  a  Chinese  mandarin,  and  grinned.  This  panto- 
mimic display  was  intended  to  convey  much  meaning  — 
more  than  I  could  interpret.  But  it  convinced  me  that 
the  carpenter  was  familiar  witli  such  sights,  which,  per- 
haps, were  not  very  remarkable,  after  all. 

When  the  watch  was  called,  I  pointed  out  the  fiery  ball 
to  Eastman,  and  to  Mr.  Adams,  the  mate,  and  learned  that 
the  object  which  gave  mo  such  a  fright  was  not  of  very 
unfrequent  occurrence  during  a  gale  of  wind.  It  was 
known  among  seamen  by  the  name  of  corposant,  or  com- 
plaisant, being  a  corruption  of  "cuerpo  santo,"  the  name  it 
received  from  the  Spaniards.  It  is  supposed  to  be  formed 
of  phosphorescent  particles  of  jelly,  blown  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  during  a  storm,  and  which,  clinging 
to  the  rigging,  gradually  accumulate,  and  ascend  until  they 
reach  the  truck.  The  mass  remains  there  for  a  time,  and 
then  disappears.  Sometimes  it  is  seen  on  the  topsail 
yard  or  at  the  end  of  the  flying  jib-boom. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  having  crossed  "the  Gulf,"  we 
made  the  land  off"  the  mouth  of  Savannah  River;  saw 
Tybee  Lighthouse  ;  took  a  pilot,  and  proceeded  up  to  the 
city.  When  we  left  St.  Bartholomew,  it  was  given  out 
that  we  were  bound  to  Wilmington ;  on  the  passage  we 
spoke  a  vessel,  and  Captain  Turner,  on  being  questioned, 
said  we  were  bound  to  Charleston.  For  good  and  suffi- 
cient reasons,  known  to  himself,  he  did  not  think  proper 
to  gratify  idle  curiosity. 


108  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

But  while  our  shrewd  captain  was  dexterously  managing 
to  deceive  the  revenue  officers,  and  obtain  all  the  advan- 
tages of  the  fair  trader,  a  circumstance  occurred  through 
his  own  ignorance  or  neglect,  which  brought  about  the 
very  catastrophe  he  was  taking  such  pains  to  avoid. 

The  cargo,  as  I  have  stated,  consisted  of  only  a  few 
puncheons  of  rum.  A  permit  was  obtained,  and  one 
morning  they  were  landed  on  the  wharf.  At  that  time 
there  was  a  law  of  the  United  States  which  forbade  the 
importation  of  rum  in  casks  containing  less  than  ninety 
gallons.  The  officer  appointed  to  gauge  the  casks  that 
were  landed  from  the  schooner  ascertained  that  one  of 
them  measured  only  seventy-eight  gallons.  He  proclaimed 
the  fact,  and  hastened  to  the  Custom  House  to  notify 
the  collector.  In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Howard,  the  mer- 
chant who  transacted  business  for  Captain  Turner,  heard 
of  the  affair,  and,  accompanied  by  the  captain,  came  on 
board. 

Instead  of  acknowledging  an  involuntary  violation  of 
law,  and  explaining  to  the  collector  the  cause  of  the 
error,  these  gentlemen  very  imprudently  ordered  the  ob- 
jectionable cask  to  be  rolled  in  on  deck,  and  all  hands 
were  set  at  work  to  transfer  its  contents  to  an  empty  water 
cask,  which  was  of  greater  capacity  than  ninety  gallons. 
The  trick  might  have  succeeded  had  the  revenue  officers 
allowed  sufficient  time.  The  work  was  commenced,  and 
the  liquor  was  running  out,  making  a  gurgling  noise,  when 
down  came  the  collector  with  a  numerous  posse  at  his 
heels! 

"We  were  caught  in  the  very  act.  A  war  of  words  en- 
sued ;  but  the  explanations  given  under  the  attendant  cir- 
cumstances were  so  unsatisfactory,  that  the  vigilant  chief 
of  the  customs  clapped  his  broad  mark  on  the  mainmast, 
and  seized  the  vessel  and  the  unfortunate  cask  of  rum  in 
the  name  and  behalf  of  the  United  States ! 


"HOME!  SWEET  HOME!"  109 

CHAPTER    X. 

"HOME!   SWEET    HOME!" 

THE  afternoon  of  the  day  on  which  we  arrived  in  Sa- 
vannah, after  the  vessel  was  secured  to  the  wharf,  and  the 
decks  put  in  proper  condition,  the  four  half-starved  indi- 
viduals, composing  the  crew  of  the  schooner  John,  gay] y 
stepped  ashore,  and  proceeded  in  quest  of  some  wholesome 
and  palatable  food.  Our  pockets  were  not  well  lined,  and 
we  sought  not  for  luxuries ;  but  we  yearned  for  a  good, 
full  meal,  which  would  satisfy  our  appetite — a  blessing  we 
had  not  enjoyed  for  several  weeks. 

After  passing  through  a  couple  of  streets,  we  came  to  a 
humble  but  neat-looking  dwelling  house,  with  an  apology 
for  a  garden  in  front.  Tables  and  seats  were  arranged  be- 
neath some  trees;  "spruce  beer "  was  advertised  for  sale, 
but  there  were  indications  that  other  kinds  of  refreshments 
could  be  obtained.  The  place  wore  a  comfortable  aspect. 
We  nodded  smilingly  to  each  other,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"This  will  do!"  —  entered  the  gateway,  which  stood  in- 
vitingly open,  and  took  seats  at  a  table. 

Eastman,  who  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  had 
resided  many  years  on  a  farm,  and  knew  what  was  good 
living,  inquired  boldly  of  the  master  of  the  establishment 
if  he  could  furnish  each  of  us  with  a  capacious  bowl  of 
bread  and  milk.  The  man  replied  that  he  could.  On  in- 
quiring the  price,  we  found,  to  our  great  joy,  that  it  was 
within  our  means.  He  was  told  to  bring  it  along ;  and  in 
a  few  minutes,  which  seemed  an  age,  the  bread  and  milk 
were  placed  before  us. 

The  milk  was  cool,  and  of  good  quality.  The  bread  was 
in  the  form  of  rolls,  newly  baked,  and  manufactured  of 
the  finest  flour.  The  aspect  of  these  "refreshments"  was 

10 


110  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

of  the  most  tempting  character !  To  our  excited  imagi- 
nations, they  equalled  the  nectar  and  ambrosia  which 
furnished  the  feasts  on  Mount  Olympus.  We  did  not 
tarry  long  to  gaze  upon  their  beauties,  or  contemplate  their 
excellence.  Each  one  broke  a  roll  into  his  basin  of  milk, 
seized  a  spoon,  and  without  speaking  a  word,  commenced 
operations  with  exemplary  energy,  with  cheeks  glowing 
with  excitement,  and  eyes  glistening  with  pleasure ;  while 
our  good-natured  host  gazed  in  wonder  on  our  proceed- 
ings, and  grinned  approbation ! 

Our  gratification  was  complete.  We  returned  to  the 
schooner  in  better  spirits  and  in  better  health,  after  having 
partaken  of  this  invigorating  meal ;  and  although  I  have 
since  dined  with  epicures,  and  been  regaled  with  delicious 
food  prepared  in  the  most  artistic  style,  I  never  tasted  a 
dish  which  seemed  so  grateful  to  my  palate,  which  so 
completely  suffused  my  whole  physical  system  with  grati- 
fication bordering  on  ecstasy,  as  that  humble  bowl  of  bread 
and  milk  in  Savannah. 

The  schooner  having  been  seized  by  the  government 
for  unlawful  transactions,  the  crew  were  compelled  to  wait 
until  the  trial  took  place  before  they  could  receive  the 
wages  due  for  their  services.  If  the  vessel  should  not  be 
condemned,  they  were  to  look  to  Captain  Turner  for  their 
pay.  But  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  vessel  should  be  con- 
fiscated, the  United  States  authorities  would  be  obliged  to 
pay  the  wages  due  at  the  time  the  seizure  took  place.  In 
the  mean  time  we  were  furnished  with  board,  such  as  it 
was,  and  lodging  in  the  schooner,  and  awaited  with  im- 
patience the  result  of  the  trial. 

Captain  Turner,  being  a  shrewd  business  man,  was  not 
idle  during  this  intermission.  Having  reason  to  believe 
his  vessel  would  be  condemned,  he  resolved  that  the 
government  authorities  should  obtain  possession  of  noth- 
ing more  than  the  bare  hull  and  spars.  Under  cover  of 
the  night  he  stripped  the  schooner  of  the  cables  and 


"HOME!  SWEET  HOME!"  Ill 

anchors,  the  running  rigging,  the  spare  spars,  water  casks, 
boats,  sails,  cabin  furniture,  blocks,  compasses,  and  hand- 
spikes. The  government  got  "  a  hard  bargain,"  when  the 
naked  hull  of  this  old  worn-out  craft  came  into  their 
hands. 

One  beautiful  morning  while  lying  at  the  wharf  in  Sa- 
vannah, two  barges,  each  having  its  stern-seats  occupied 
by  three  well-dressed  gentlemen,  looking  as  serious  and 
determined  as  if  bent  on  some  important  business,  left  the 
landing  place  astern  of  the  schooner,  and  proceeded  rapid- 
ly down  the  river.  A  throng  of  inquisitive  observers,  who 
knew  the  nature  of  their  errand,  collected  ere  they  started 
from  the  wharf,  and  gazed  intently  on  the  boats  until  the 
intervening  marshes  concealed  them  from  view. 

These  gentlemen  were  to  act  as  principals,  seconds,  and 
surgeons,  in  a  duel  for  which  all  proper  arrangements  had 
boon  made.  At  a  ball  the  evening  before,  a  dispute  had 
arisen  between  two  high-spirited  youths,  connected  with 
highly-respectable  families,  in  relation  to  the  right  of 
dancing  with  a  beautiful  girl,  the  belle  of  the  ball-room. 
Irritating  and  insulting  language  was  indulged  in  by  both 
parties;  a  challenge  was  given  and  promptly  accepted. 
They  proceeded  in  the  way  I  have  related  to  the  South 
Carolina  bank  of  the  river,  there  to  settle  the  controversy 
by  gunpowder  logic,  and  shoot  at  each  other  until  one  or 
both  parties  should  be  fully  satisfied. 

Having  seen  the  duellists  fairly  embarked,  I  felt  a  deep 
interest  in  the  result,  and  eagerly  watched  for  the  return 
of  the  barges.  In  the  course  of  little  more  than  an 
hour,  one  of  the  boats  was  seen  ascending  the  river,  and 
rapidly  approached  the  wharf.  One  of  the  principals,  fol- 
lowed by  his  friend,  stepped  ashore  with  a  triumphant  air, 
as  if  he  had  done  a  noble  deed,  and  walked  up  the  wharf. 
But  no  satisfactory  information  could  be  obtained  respect- 
ing the  result  of  the  duel. 

In  about  half  an  hour  the  other  boat  made  its  appear- 


112  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

ance.  It  moved  slowly  along,  propelled  by  only  a  couple 
of  oars.  The  reason  of  this  was  soon  explained  by  the 
sight  of  a  man,  extended  on  the  thwarts,  and  writhing 
with  pain.  This  proved  to  be  one  of  the  duellists,  who 
was  shot  in  the  groin  at  the  second  fire,  and  dangerously 
wounded.  The  boat  reached  the  landing  place,  and  the 
surgeon  and  the  second  both  went  up  the  wharf  in  search 
of  some  means  of  transporting  the  unfortunate  man 
to  his  home.  Meanwhile  he  lay  upon  his  rude  couch 
exposed  to  the  nearly  vertical  rays  of  the  sun ;  his  only 
attendant  a  negro,  who  brushed  away  the  flies  which  an- 
noyed him.  His  features  were  of  a  deadly  pallor;  he 
breathed  with  difficulty,  and  appeared  to  suffer  much  from 
pain. 

Some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  elapsed  ere  the  friends  of 
the  wounded  man  returned,  bringing  a  litter,  mattress,  and 
bearers.  He  was  too  ill  to  be  conveyed  through  the  streets 
in  a  coach.  A  mournful  procession  was  formed,  and  he 
was  thus  carried,  in  a  bleeding  and  dying  condition,  to  his 
relatives,  a  mother  and  sisters,  from  whom  he  had  parted 
a  few  hours  before,  in  all  the  strength  and  vigor  of  early 
manhood. 

As  I  gazed  upon  this  wounded  man,  the  absurdity  of 
the  custom  of  duelling,  as  practised  among  civilized  na- 
tions, struck  me  in  all  its  force.  One  scene  like  this, 
taken  in  connection  with  the  attendant  circumstances,  is 
more  convincing  than  volumes  of  logic,  or  a  thousand 
homilies.  For  a  few  hasty  words,  exchanged  in  a  moment 
of  anger,  two  men,  instructed  in  the  precepts  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  professing  to  be  guided  by  true  principles  of 
honesty  and  honor,  who  had  ever  borne  high  characters 
for  worth,  and  perhaps,  in  consequence  of  the  elevated 
position  they  hold  among  respectable  men,  meet  by  ap- 
pointment in  a  secluded  spot,  and  proceed  in  the  most 
deliberate  manner  to  take  each  other's  lives  —  to  commit 
murder  —  a  crime  of  the  most  fearful  magnitude  known 


"HOME!   SWEET  HOME!"  113 

among  nations,  and  denounced  as  such  by  the  laws  of  man 
and  the  laws  of  God. 

In  due  time  the  fate  of  the  schooner  John  was  decided. 
The  vessel  was  condemned,  and  the  crew  received  notice 
to  bring  in  their  bills  for  the  amount  of  wages  due.  Cap- 
tain Turner  kindly  offered  to  make  out  my  account,  and 
shortly  afterwards  handed  me  my  bill  against  the  United 
States  government  for  services  on  board,  the  amount  of 
which  overwhelmed  me  with  astonishment. 

"  There  is  surely  a  mistake  in  this  bill,  sir,"  said  I;  "the 
amount  is  far  more  than  I  am  entitled  to.  You  forget  I 
shipped  for  only  fifteen  dollars  a  month,  and  including  my 
advanced  month's  pay,  I  have  already  received  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  my  wages." 

"I  forget  nothing  of  the  kind,  Hawser,"  replied  the 
captain,  with  a  benevolent  smile.  "You  may  just  as  well 
receive  fifty  dollars  as  five  and  twenty.  The  government 
will  be  none  the  poorer  for  it." 

"But,  sir,  will  it  be  right  for  me  to  carry  in  an  account 
so  greatly  exceeding  in  amount  what  is  my  due  ?" 

"My  lad,"  replied  the  captain,  a  little  embarrassed, 
"you  must  not  be  so  scrupulous  in  these  trifling  matters, 
or  you  will  never  make  your  way  through  the  world  —  at 
any  rate  you  will  never  do  for  a  sailor.  The  rest  of  the 
men  make  no  objections  to  putting  a  little  money  in  their 
pockets,  and  why  should  you?  Even  Mr.  Adams,  the 
mate,  will  receive  double  the  amount  of  money  which 
rightfully  belongs  to  him! " 

"  But,  sir,"  I  replied,  greatly  shocked  at  this  intelligence, 
and  my  features  undoubtedly  expressed  my  abhorrence  of 
this  strange  system  of  ethics,  "  do  you  expect  me  to  go  be- 
fore a  magistrate  and  take  a  solemn  oath  that  the  account 
you  have  just  put  into  my  hands  is  a  just  and  true  one? 
You  surely  would  not  advise  me  to  commit  such  a  crime!" 

The  captain's  face  glowed  like  a  firebrand,  and  his  eyes 
sparkled  with  wrath,  as  he  loudly  exclaimed,  "  What  differ- 

10* 


114  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

ence  does  it  make  to  you,  you  ungrateful  cur,  whether  the 
account  is  true  or  false,  so  long  as  you  get  your  money 't 
Biing  none  of  your  squeamish  objections  here.  Either 
take  the  account  as  I  have  made  it  out,  and  swear  to  it, 
without  flinching,  or"  —  and  here  he  swore  an  oath  too 
revolting  to  transcribe  —  "  not  a  cent  of  money  shall  you 
receive." 

He  stepped  ashore,  and  walked  with  rapid  strides  up  the 
wharf.  I  went  forward,  and  seating  myself  on  the  wind- 
lass, burst  into  tears ! 

It  struck  me  as  hard  and  unjust  that  I  should  be  de- 
prived of  my  well-earned  wages,  unless  on  condition  of 
committing  an  unworthy  act,  at  which  my  soul  revolted. 
My  decision,  however,  was  taken.  Although  the  loss  of 
my  money  would  have  subjected  me  to  inconvenience  — 
perhaps  distress  —  I  resolved  to  submit  to  any  ills  which 
poverty  might  inflict,  rather  than  comply  with  the  wishes 
and  advice  of  this  unprincipled  man,  who  should  have 
acted  towards  me  as  a  faithful  monitor  and  guide. 

I  remained  in  this  disconsolate  condition  for  about  an 
hour,  when  Captain  Turner  returned  on  board.  As  he 
stepped  leisurely  over  the  gangway,  he  greeted  me  with 
a  benignant  smile,  and  beckoned  me  to  the  quarter  deck. 

"  Well,  Hawser,"  said  he  in  his  blandest  manner,  as  if 
lie  sought  to  atone  for  his  coarse  language  and  dishonora- 
ble conduct  a  short  time  before,  "  so  you  refuse  to  do  as 
others  do  —  take  a  false  oath  ?  You  are  too  sanctimonious 
by  half,  and  you  will  find  it  out  some  day.  You  are  an 
obstinate  little  fool,  but  may  do  as  you  like.  Here  is 
another  paper ;  look  over  it,  and  see  if  it  will  suit  you." 

I  opened  the  paper;  it  was  a  true  statement  of  my 
claim  against  the  government  for  wages.  In  the  course  of 
the  day,  the  ship's  company  proceeded  in  a  body  to  the 
office  of  the  government  agent,  swore  to  our  several  ac- 
counts, and  received  our  money. 

The  amount  which  fell  to  my  share  was  not  large.     I 


"HOME!   SWEET  HOME!"  115 

purchased  some  clothes,  paid  a  few  trifling  debts  that  I 
had  contracted  while  subjected  to  the  "law's  delay," 
which  Shakspeare,  a  keen  observer  of  men  and  manners, 
classes  among  the  most  grievous  of  human  ills,  and  had  a 
few  dollars  left. 

After  my  experience  of  a  sailor's  life,  after  the  treat- 
ment I  had  received,  the  miserable  fare  on  which  I  had 
barely  existed  during  a  portion  of  the  time,  and  the  dis- 
gusting specimen  of  nautical  morality  I  had  met  with  in 
Captain  Turner,  it  will  not  be  considered  surprising  if  my 
views  of  a  sailor's  life  had  been  a  little  changed  during  my 
last  voyage.  I  entertained  some  doubts  whether  "going 
to  sea,"  instead  of  being  all  poetry  and  romance,  was  not 
rather  a  prosy  affair,  after  all;  and  I  more  than  once 
asked  myself  if  a  young  man,  of  correct  deportment  and 
industrious  habits,  who  could  find  some  good  and  respecta- 
ble business  on  shore,  would  not  be  a  consummate  fool  to 
"go  to  sea."  I  deliberated  anxiously  on  the  subject,  and 
finally  determined  to  return  to  my  home  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  visit  my  friends  before  I  undertook  another 
voyage. 

The  schooner  Lydia,  of  Barnstable,  commanded  by 
Captain  Burgess,  an  honest,  noble-hearted  son  of  Cape 
Cod,  was  the  only  vessel  in  Savannah  at  that  time  bound 
for  Boston.  I  explained  to  him  my  situation,  told  him  I 
wns  anxious  to  get  home,  and  asked  as  a  favor  that  he 
would  allow  me  to  work  my  passage  to  Boston. 

He  replied  that  he  had  a  full  crew  for  his  vessel,  even 
more  hands  than  could  be  properly  accommodated  below, 
as  the  cabin  and  steerage  were  both  encumbered  with 
bales  of  cotton.  But  if  I  was  willing  to  sleep  on  deck,  and 
assist  in  working  ship  and  doing  other  duty,  he  would 
cheerfully  give  me  a  passage.  I  accepted  his  offer  on 
these  conditions,  and  thanked  him  into  the  bargain. 

We  left  Savannah  on  our  way  to  Boston.  My  heart 
beat  quicker  at  the  idea  of  returning  home.  The  wind 


116  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

proved  light  and  baffling  on  the  passage,  and  as  wo  drew 
towards  the  north,  the  weather  was  foggy  with  drizzling 
rains.  My  quarters  on  deck,  under  the  lee  of  a  bale  of 
cotton,  were  any  thing  but  comfortable.  I  often  awoke 
when  the  watch  was  called,  shivering  with  cold,  and 
found  it  difficult,  without  an  unusual  quantity  of  exercise, 
to  recover  a  tolerable  degree  of  warmth. 

I  uttered  no  complaints,  but  bore  this  continual  exposure, 
night  and  day,  and  other  inconveniences,  with  a  philo? 
sophical  spirit,  conceiving  them  to  be  a  part  of  the  com- 
pact. If  the  passage  had  only  been  of  moderate  length,  I 
should,  in  all  likelihood,  have  reached  Boston  in  good 
health;  but  nineteen  days  had  passed  away  when  we 
sailed  through  the  Vineyard  Sound,  and  anchored  in  the 
harbor  of  Hyannis,  on  the  third  of  July,  1810. 

Some  days  before  we  reached  Hyannis,  I  found  myself 
gradually  losing  strength.  I  was  visited  with  occasional 
fits  of  shivering,  succeeded  by  fever  heats.  But  on  the 
morning  of  the  glorious  Fourth,  I  felt  my  whole  system 
renovated  at  the  idea  of  celebrating  "  Independence  Day  " 
on  shore.  The  captain  and  mate  of  the  Lydia  both  be- 
longed to  Barnstable,  where  their  families  resided.  They 
both  left  the  schooner  for  their  homes  as  soon  as  the  an- 
chor reached  the  bottom,  boldly  predicting  head  winds  or 
calms  for  at  least  thirty-six  hours,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  they  calculated  to  rejoin  the  schooner. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth,  the  crew,  to  a  man,  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  our  trustworthy  officers,  and  deter- 
mined to  have  a  jovial  time  on  shore.  We  left  the  good 
schooner  Lydia  soberly  riding  at  anchor,  to  take  care  of 
herself.  There  were  several  other  vessels  in  the  harbor, 
all  of  which  were  deserted  in  the  same  manner.  Not  a 
living  animal  was  to  be  found  in  the  whole  fleet.  After 
passing  weeks  at  sea,  the  temptation  to  tread  the  firm 
earth,  and  participate  in  a  Fourth  of  July  frolic,  was  too 
strong  to  be  resisted. 


"HOME!  SWEET  HOME!"  117 

Hyannis  was  then  quite  a  humble  village  with  a  profu- 
sion of  salt  works.  Farm  houses  were  thinly  scattered 
around,  and  comfort  seemed  inscribed  on  every  dwelling. 
There  seemed  to  be  an  abundance  of  people  moving  about 
on  that  day ;  where  they  came  from  was  a  problem  I  could 
not  solve.  Every  one  seemed  pleased  and  happy,  and, 
with  commendable  patriotism,  resolved  to  enjoy  Independ- 
ence Day.  The  young  men  were  neatly  apparelled,  and 
bent  on  having  a  joyous  time;  and  the  girls  —  Cape  Cod 
girls,  ever  renowned  for  beauty  and  worth  —  gayly  decked 
out  with  smiles,  and  dimples,  and  ribbons,  ready  for  a  Fourth 
of  July  frolic,  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  beholders,  and  threw 
a  magic  chann  over  the  scene. 

And  a  frolic  they  had;  fiddling,  dancing,  fun,  and  pa- 
triotism was  the  order  of  the  day.  In  the  evening,  how- 
ever, the  entertainments  were  varied  by  the  delivery  of  a 
sermon  and  other  religious  exercises  in  the  school-house  by 
a  young  Baptist  clergyman,  who  subsequently  became 
well  known  for  his  praiseworthy  and  successful  efforts  to 
reduce  the  rates  on  postage  in  the  United  States.  This 
good  man  accomplished  the  great  work  of  his  life  —  and 
died.  A  simple  monument  is  erected  to  his  memory  at 
Mount  Auburn,  with  no  more  than  these  words  of  inscrip- 
tion :  — 

"BARNABAS    BATES, 

FATHER     OF     CHEAP     POSTAGE." 

Hardly  a  person  visits  that  consecrated  ground  who  has 
not  reaped  enjoyment  from  the  labors  of  that  man's  life. 
And  as  the  simple  epitaph  meets  the  eye,  and  is  read  in  an 
audible  tone,  the  heart-felt  invocation,  "  Blessings  on  his 
memory  ! "  is  his  oft-repeated  elegy. 

It  was  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  the  crew 
returned  to  the  schooner.  After  we  gained  the  deck  I 
was  seized  with  an  unpleasant  sensation.  A  sudden  chill 
seemed  to  congeal  the  blood  in  my  veins ;  my  teeth  chat- 


118  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

tered,  and  my  frame  shook  with  alarming  violence.  After 
the  lapse  of  about  thirty  minutes  the  chills  gave  place  to 
an  attack  of  fever,  which,  in  an  hour  or  two,  also  disap- 
peared, leaving  me  in  a  weak  and  wretched  condition. 
This  proved  to  be  a  case  of  intermittent  fever,  or  fever 
and  ague,  a  distressing  malady,  but  little  known  in  New 
England  in  modern  times,  although  by  no  means  a  stran- 
ger to  the  early  settlers.  It  was  fastened  upon  me  with  a 
rough  and  tenacious  grasp,  by  the  damp,  foggy,  chilly  at- 
mosphere in  which  I  had  constantly  lived  for  the  last  fort- 
night. 

Next  morning,  in  good  season,  the  captain  and  mate 
were  on  board.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  we  got  under 
weigh  —  doubled  Cape  Cod,  and  arrived  alongside  the  T 
Wharf  in  Boston,  after  a  tedious  and  uncomfortable  pas- 
sage of  twenty-two  days  from  Savannah. 

I  left  my  home  a  healthy-looking  boy,  with  buoyant 
spirits,  a  bright  eye,  and  features  beaming  with  hope.  A 
year  had  passed,  and  I  stood  on  the  wharf  in  Boston,  a 
slender  stripling,  with  a  pale  and  sallow  complexion,  a 
frame  attenuated  by  disease,  and  a  spirit  oppressed  by  dis- 
appointment. The  same  day  I  deposited  my  chest  in  a 
packet  bound  to  Portsmouth,  tied  up  a  few  trifling  arti- 
cles in  a  handkerchief,  shook  hands  with  the  worthy  Cap- 
tain Burgess,  his  mate  and  kind-hearted  crew,  and  with 
fifteen  silver  dollars  in  my  pocket,  wended  my  way  to  the 
stage  tavern  in  Ann  Street,  and  made  arrangements  for 
a  speedy  journey  to  my  home  in  Rockingham  County, 
New  Hampshire. 


EMBARKING   FOB    BRAZIL.  119 

CHAPTER    XI. 

EMBARKING     FOR     BRAZIL. 

IT  seemed  to  be  generally  conceded  that  I  had  got 
enough  of  the  sea ;  that  after  the  discomforts  I  had  ex- 
perienced, and  the  unpleasant  and  revolting  scenes  I  had 
witnessed,  I  should  manifest  folly  in  trying  another  voy- 
age. My  friends  took  it  for  granted  that  in  my  eyes  a 
ship  had  lost  all  her  attractions,  and  that  I  would  hence- 
forth eschew  salt  water  as  zealously  and  devoutly  as  a 
thrice-holy  -  monk  is  wont  to  eschew  the  vanities  of  the 
world. 

Indeed,  for  a  time  I  reluctantly  acknowledged  that  I 
had  seen  enough  of  a  sailor's  life ;  that  on  trial  it  did  not 
realize  my  expectations ;  that  if  not  a  decided  humbug,  it 
was  amazingly  like  one.  With  my  health  the  buoyancy  of 
my  spirits  departed.  Hope  and  ambition  no  longer  urged 
me  with  irresistible  power  to  go  forth  and  visit  foreign 
lands,  and  traverse  unknown  seas  like  a  knight  errant  of 
old  in  quest  of  adventures.  While  shivering  with  ague, 
and  thinking  of  my  wretched  fare  on  board  the  schooner 
John,  and  my  uncomfortable  lodgings  during  the  passage 
from  Savannah,  I  listened,  with  patience  at  least,  to  tlio 
suggestions  of  my  friends  about  a  change  of  occupation. 
Arrangements  were  accordingly  made  by  which  I  was  to 
bid  adieu  to  the  seas  forever. 

It  cost  me  something  to  abandon  a  vocation  to  which  I 
had  looked  for  years  as  the  stepping-stone  to  success  in 
life;  and  as  my  health  and  spirits  returned,  I  began  to 
doubt  whether  I  was  acting  wisely ;  but  having  embarked 
in  a  new  pursuit,  I  determined  to  go  ahead,  and  to  this 
determination  I  unflinchingly  adhered,  —  for  at  least  three 
months,  —  when  I  fell  in  with  a  distant  relation,  Captain 


120  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

Nathaniel  Page,  of  Salem,  who  was  about  proceeding  on  a 
voyage  to  the  Brazils.  After  expressing  surprise  at  my 
course  in  abandoning  the  sea,  he  more  than  hinted  that  if 
I  wished  a  situation  before  the  mast  with  him,  it  was  at 
my  service. 

This  was  applying  the  linstock  to  the  priming  with  a 
vengeance.  My  good  resolutions  vanished  like  a  wreath 
of  vapor  before  a  westerly  gale.  Those  longings  which  I 
had  endeavored  to  stifle,  returned  with  more  than  their 
original  force.  In  fancy's  eye,  I  saw  a  marlinspike  where 
Macbeth  saw  the  dagger,  and  snuffed  the  fragrance  of  a 
tar-bucket  in  every  breeze. 

At  the  expiration  of  three  days  after  my  interview  with 
Captain  Page,  I  took  the  stage  coach  and  proceeded  to 
Salem.  The  brig  Clarissa  was  then  preparing  to  take  in 
cargo  for  Maranham  and  Para, — ports  on  the  north  coast 
of  Brazil,  —  which  had  just  been  thrown  open  to  American 
commerce.  The  Clarissa  was  a  good-looking,  substantial 
vessel,  of  about  two  hundred  tons  burden,  belonging  to 
Jere.  L.  Page,  Abel  Peirson,  and  others,  and  had  recently 
returned  from  a  successful  voyage  to  Calcutta. 

The  sight  of  the  brig,  and  the  flurry  about  the  wharves, 
where  several  Indiamen  were  discharging  cargoes  or  mak- 
ing ready  for  sea,  confirmed  me  in  my  resolution  to  try  the 
ocean  once  more.  Indeed  I  began  to  be  heartily  ashamed 
of  having  seriously  entertained  the  idea  of  quietly  settling 
down  among  "  the  land-lubbers  on  shore,"  and  felt  that  the 
sooner  I  retrieved  my  error  the  better. 

Filled  with  this  idea,  I  sought  Captain  Page,  and  with- 
out further  consideration,  and  without  daring  to  consult 
my  friends  in  New  Hampshire,  lest  they  should  overwhelm 
me  with  remonstrances,  I  engaged  to  go  in  the  Clarissa 
as  one  of  the  crew  before  the  mast. 

I  returned  home  with  all  speed,  gathered  together  my 
few  sea-going  garments  and  nautical  instruments,  again 
bade  adieu  to  my  relations,  who  gravely  shook  their  heads 


EMBARKING   FOE   BRAZIL.  121 

in  doubt  of  the  wisdom  of  my  conduct,  and  elated  by  vis- 
ions of  fairy  castles  in  the  distance,  hastened  to  join  the 
brig,  which  was  destined  to  bear  Caesar  and  his  fortunes. 

This  may  have  been  the  wisest  step  I  could  have  taken. 
It  is  not  likely  I  should  have  been  long  reconciled  to  any 
other  occupation  than  that  of  a  mariner.  When  a  boy's 
fixed  inclinations  in  the  choice  of  an  occupation  are 
thwarted,  he  is  seldom  successful  in  life.  His  genius,  if 
he  has  any,  will  be  cramped,  stunted,  by  an  attempt  to 
bend  it  in  the  wrong  direction,  and  will  seldom  afterwards 
expand.  But  when  a  person,  while  attending  to  the  duties 
of  his  profession  or  occupation,  whether  literary,  scientific, 
or  manual,  can  gratify  his  inclinations,  and  thus  find  pleas- 
ure in  his  business,  he  will  be  certain  of  success. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  January,  1811,  that  the  brig  Cla- 
rissa was  cast  loose  from  Derby's  Wharf  in  Salem,  and  with 
a  gentle  south-west  breeze,  sailed  down  the  harbor,  passed 
Baker's  Island,  and  entered  on  the  broad  Atlantic.  Our 
cargo  was  of  a  miscellaneous  description,  consisting  of 
flour  and  salt  provisions,  furniture,  articles  of  American 
manufacture,  and  a  large  assortment  of  India  cottons, 
which  were  at  that  time  in  general  use  throughout  the 
habitable  parts  of  the  globe. 

The  Clarissa  was  a  good  vessel,  and  well  found  in  almost 
every  respect ;  but  like  most  of  the  vessels  in  those  days, 
had  wretched  accommodations  for  ^e  <6rew.  The  fore- 
castle was  small,  with  no  means  of  ventilation  or  admis- 
sion of  the  light  of 'day,  excepting  by  the  fore-scuttle.  In 
this  contracted  space  —  an  equilateral  triangle,  with  sides 
of  some  twelve  or  fifteen  feet,  which  was  expected  to 
furnish  comfortable  accommodations  for  six  individuals,  in- 
cluding a  very  dark-complexioned  African,  who  filled  the 
respectable  and  responsible  office  of  cook  —  were  stowed 
six  large  chests  and  other  baggage  belonging  to  the  sailors; 
also  two  water-hogsheads,  and  several  coils  of  rigging. 

The  deck  leaked  badly,  in  heavy  weather,  around  the 
11 


122  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

bowsprit-bitts,  flooding  the  forecastle  at  every  plunge ;  and 
when  it  is  considered  that  each  inmate  of  the  forecastle, 
except  myself,  was  an  inveterate  chewer  of  the  Indian 
weed,  it  may  be  imagined  that  this  forecastle  was  about  as 
uncomfortable  a  lodging  place,  in  winter's  cold  or  summer's 
heat,  as  a  civilized  being  could  well  desire.  It  undoubt- 
edly possessed  advantages  over  the  "Black  Hole  of  Cal- 
cutta," but  an  Esquimaux  hut,  an  Indian  wigwam,  or  a 
Russian  cabin,  was  a  palace  in  comparison.  And  this  was 
a  type  of  the  forecastles  of  those  days. 

After  getting  clear  of  the  land  the  wind  died  away;  and 
soon  after  came  from  the  eastward,  and  was  the  commence- 
ment of  a  snow  storm  which  lasted  twelve  hours,  when  it 
backed  into  the  north-west,  and  the  foresail  was  set  with 
the  view  of  scudding  before  the  wind.  It  soon  blew  a 
heavy  gale  ;  the  thermometer  fell  nearly  to  zero  ;  ice 
gathered  in  large  quantities  on  our  bowsprit,  bows,  and 
rigging,  and  the  brig  labored  and  plunged  fearfully  in  the 
irregular  cross  sea  when  urged  through  the  water  by  the 
blustering  gale. 

To  save  the  vessel  from  foundering,  it  became  necessary 
to  lay  her  to  under  a  close-reefed  main-topsail.  It  was 
about  half  past  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  when  all  hands  were 
called  for  that  purpose.  Unfortunately  my  feet  were  not 
well  protected  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and 
became  thoroughly  %et  before  I  had  been  five  minutes  on 
deck.  We  had  difficulty  in  handing  the  foresail,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  the  benumbing 
effect  of  the  weather,  and  remained  a  long  time  on  the 
yard.  When  I  reached  the  deck,  my  stockings  were  frozen 
to  my  feet,  and  I  suffered  exceedingly  from  the  cold. 

It  was  now  my  "  trick  at  the  helm,"  for  notwithstanding 
we  were  lying  to,  it  was  considei-ed  necessaiy  for  some 
one  to  remain  near  the  tiller,  watch  the  compass,  and  be 
in  readiness  for  any  emergency.  I  stamped  my  feet  oc- 
casionally, with  a  view  to  keep  them  from  freezing,  and 


EJfBAKKTXG    FOR    BRAZIL.  123 

thought  I  had  succeeded ;  and  when  at  four  o'clock  I  went 
below  and  turned  into  my  berth,  they  felt  comfortable 
enough,  and  I  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  from  which  I  was 
awakened  by  burning  pains  in  rny  feet  and  fingers.  My 
sufferings  were  intolerable,  and  I  cried  out  lustily  in  my 
agony,  and  was  answered  from  another  part  of  the  fore- 
castle, where  one  of  my  watchmates,  a  youth  but  little 
older  than  myself,  was  extended,  also  suffering  from  frozen 
feet  and  hands. 

Our  united  complaints,  which  by  no  means  resembled  a 
concert  of  sweet  sounds,  aroused  from  his  slumbers  our 
remaining  watchmate,  Xewhall,  an  experienced  tar,  who 
cared  little  for  weather  of  any  description,  provided  he 
was  not  stinted  in  his  regular  proportion  of  sleep.  In  a 
surly  mood  he  inquired  what  was  the  trouble.  On  being 
told,  he  remarked  with  a  vein  of  philosophy  and  a  force 
of  logic  which  precluded  all  argument,  that  if  our  feet 
were  frozen,  crying  and  groaning  would  do  us  no  good, 
while  it  would  annoy  him,  and  prevent  his  sleeping;  there- 
fore we  had  better  "grin  and  bear  it"  like  men  until  eight 
bells,  when  we  might  stand  a  chance  to  get  some  assistance. 
He  moreover  told  us  that  he  would  not  put  up  with  such 
a  disturbance  in  the  forecastle ;  it  was  against  all  rules ; 
and  if  we  did  not  clap  a  stopper  on  our  cries  and  groans, 
he  would  turn  out  and  give  us  something  worth  crying 
for  —  he  would  pummel  us  both  without  mercy! 

Thus  cautioned  by  our  compassionate  shipmate,  we  en- 
deavored to  restrain  ourselves  from  giving  utterance  to  our 
feelings  until  the  expiration  of  the  watch. 

When  the  watch  was  called  our  waitings  were  loud  and 
clamorous.  Our  sufferings  awakened  the  sympathy  of  the 
officers;  our  condition  was  inquired  into,  and  assistance 
furnished.  Both  my  feet  were  badly  frost-bitten,  and  in- 
flamed and  swollen.  Collins,  my  watchmate,  had  not 
escaped  unscathed  from  the  attack  of  this  furious  north- 
wester, but  being  provided  with  a  pair  of  stout  boots,  his 


124  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

injuries  were  much  less  than  mine.  In  a  few  days  he  was 
about  the  deck  as  active  as  ever. 

The  result  of  my  conflict  with  the  elements  on  "  the  win- 
ter's coast "  was  of  a  serious  and  painful  character ;  and 
for  a  time  there  was  reason  to  fear  that  amputation  of  a 
portion  of  one,  if  not  both  feet  might  be  necessary.  Cap- 
tain Page  treated  me  with  kindness,  and  was  unremitting 
in  his  surgical  attentions ;  and  by  dint  of  great  care,  a 
free  application  of  emollients,  and  copious  quantities  of 
"British  oil,"  since  known  at  different  times  as  "Seneca 
oil,"  or  "  Petroleum,"  a  partial  cure  was  gradually  effected  ; 
but  several  weeks  passed  away  ere  I  was  able  to  go  aloft, 
and  a  free  circulation  of  the  blood  has  never  been  re- 
stored. 

A  few  days  after  this  furious  gale,  we  found  ourselves 
in  warm  weather,  having  entered  the  edge  of  the  Gulf 
Stream.  We  proceeded  in  a  south-east  direction,  crossing 
the  trade  winds  on  our  way  to  the  equinoctial  line.  Were 
it  not  for  the  monotony,  which  always  fatigues,  there  would 
be  few  undertakings  more  interesting  than  a  sail  through 
the  latitudes  of  "the  trades,"  where  we  meet  with  a  balmy 
atmosphere,  gentle  breezes,  and  smooth  seas.  In  the  night 
the  heavens  are  often  unclouded,  the  constellations  seem 
more  interesting,  the  stars  shine  with  a  milder  radiance, 
and  the  moon  gives  a  purer  light,  than  in  a  more  north- 
ern region.  Often  in  my  passage  through  the  tropics, 
during  the  night-watches,  seated  on  a  spare  topmast,  or 
the  windlass,  or  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit,  I  have,  for  hours 
at  a  time,  indulged  my  taste  for  reading  and  study  by  the 
light  of  the  moon. 

Fish  of  many  kinds  are  met  with  in  those  seas ;  and  the 
attempt  to  capture  them  furnishes  a  pleasant  excitement ; 
and  if  the  attempt  is  successful,  an  agreeable  variety  is 
added  to  the  ordinary  fare  on  shipboard.  The  dolphin  is 
the  fish  most  frequently  seen,  and  is  the  most  easily  caught 
of  these  finny  visitors.  He  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 


EMBARKING    FOR   BRAZIL.  125 

of  the  inhabitants  of  the  deep,  and  presents  a  singularly 
striking  and  captivating  appearance,  as,  clad  in  gorgeous 
array,  he  moves  gracefully  through  the  water.  He  usually 
swims  near  the  surface,  and  when  in  pursuit  of  a  flying- 
fish  shoots  along  with  inconceivable  velocity. 

The  dolphin,  when  properly  cooked,  although  rather 
dry,  is  nevertheless  excellent  eating;  and  as  good  fish  is 
a  welcome  commodity  at  sea,  the  capture  of  a  dolphin  is 
not  only  an  exciting  but  an  important  event.  When  the 
word  is  given  forth  that  "  there's  a  dolphin  alongside,"  the 
whole  ship's  company  are  on  the  alert.  Business,  unless 
of  the  last  importance,  is  suspended,  and  the  implements 
required  for  the  death  or  captivity  of  the  unsuspecting 
stranger  are  eagerly  sought  for.  The  men  look  resolved, 
ready  to  render  any  assistance,  and  watch  the  proceedings 
with  an  eager  eye ;  and  the  wonted  grin  on  the  features 
of  the  delighted  cook,  in  anticipation  of  an  opportunity 
to  display  his  culinary  skill,  assumes  a  broader  char- 
acter. 

The  captain  or  the  mate  takes  his  station  in  some  con- 
venient part  of  the  vessel,  on  the  bow  or  on  the  quarter, 
or  beneath  the  bowsprit  on  the  martingale  stay.  By 
throwing  overboard  a  bright  spoon,  or  a  tin  vessel,  to  which 
a  line  is  attached,  and  towing  it  on  the  top  of  the  water, 
the  dolphin,  attracted  by  its  glittering  appearance,  and 
instigated  by  curiosity,  moves  quickly  towards  the  deceiv- 
ing object,  unconscious  that  his  artful  enemy,  man,  armed 
with  a  deadly  weapon,  a  sort  of  five-pronged  harpoon, 
called  a  granes,  is  standing  over  him,  with  uplifted  arm, 
ready  to  give  the  fatal  blow. 

The  fish  is  transferred  from  his  native  element  to  the 
deck ;  the  grancs  is  disengaged  from  the  quivering  muscles, 
and  again  passed  to  the  officer,  who,  it  may  be,  soon  adds 
another  to  the  killed.  It  is  sometimes  the  case  that  half 
a  dozen  dolphin  are  captured  in  this  way  in  a  few  minutes. 
A  hook  and  line  over  the  stern,  with  a  flying-fish  for  bait, 

11* 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

will  often  prove  a  successful  means  of  capturing  the  beau- 
tiful inhabitants  of  the  deep. 

The  dolphin  is  a  fine-looking  fish.  Its  shape  is  sym- 
metry itself,  and  has  furnished  a  valuable  hint  for  the 
model  of  fast-sailing  vessels.  It  is  usually  from  two  to 
three  feet  in  length,  and  is  sometimes  met  with  of  nearly 
twice  that  size,  and  weighing  seventy-five  or  a  hundred 
pounds.  One  of  the  properties  for  which  the  dolphin  is 
celebrated  is  that  of  changing  its  color  when  dying.  By 
many  this  is  considered  fabulous ;  but  it  is  strictly  true. 
After  the  fish  is  captured,  and  while  struggling  in  the 
scuppers,  the  changes  constantly  taking  place  in  its  color 
are  truly  remarkable.  The  hues  which  predominate  are 
blue,  green,  and  yellow,  with  their  various  combinations : 
but  when  the  fish  is  dead,  the  beauty  of  its  external 
appearance,  caused  by  the  brilliancy  of  its  hues,  no  longer 
exists.  Falconer,  the  sailor  poet,  in  his  interesting  poem 
of  "  The  Shipwreck,"  thus  describes  this  singular  phenom- 
enon :  — 

"  But  while  his  heart  the  fatal  javelin  thrills, 
And  flitting  life  escapes  in  sanguine  rills, 
What  radiant  changes  strike  the  astonished  sight ! 
What  glowing  hues  of  mingled  shade  and  light ! 
Not  equal  beauties  gild  the  lucid  west, 
With  parting  beams  all  o'er  profusely  drest ; 
Not  lovelier  colors  paint  the  vernal  dawn, 
When  orient  dews  impearl  the  enamelled  lawn, 
Than  from  his  sides  in  bright  suffusion  flow, 
That  now  with  gold  empyreal  seem  to  glow ; 
Now  in  pellucid  sapphires  meet  the  view, 
And  emulate  the  soft,  celestial  hue  ; 
Now  beam  a  flaming  crimson  in  the  eye, 
And  now  assume  the  purple's  deeper  dye." 

The  second  mate  of  the  Clarissa,  Mr.  Fairfield,  was  a 
veteran  sailor,  and  a  very  active  and  industrious  man. 
He  was  always  busy  when  not  asleep  ;  and,  what  was 
of  more  importance,  and  frequently  an  annoyance  to  the 
ship's  company,  he  dearly  loved  to  see  other  people  busy. 


EMBARKING    FOR   BRAZIL.  127 

He  regarded  idleness  as  the  parent  of  evil,  and  always 
acted  on  the  uncharitable  principle  that  if  steady  employ- 
ment is  not  provided  for  a  ship's  company  they  will  be 
constantly  contriving  mischief. 

Unfortunately  for  the  crew  of  the  Clarissa,  Mr.  Fair- 
field  had  great  influence  with  the  captain,  —  having  sailed 
with  him  the  previous  voyage,  and  proved  himself  a 
good  and  faithful  officer.  He,  therefore,  had  no  difficulty 
in  carrying  into  operation  his  favorite  scheme  of  keeping 
all  hands  at  work.  A  large  quantity  of  "  old  junk  "  was 
put  on  board  in  Salem,  and  on  the  passage  to  Brazil,  after 
AVC  reached  the  pleasant  latitudes,  all  hands  were  em- 
ployed from  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening  in  knotting  yarns,  twisting  spunyarn, 
weaving  mats,  braiding  sinnett,  making  reef-points  and 
gaskets,  and  manufacturing  small  rope  to  be  used  for 
"royal  rigging,"  —  for  among  the  ingenious  expedients 
devised  by  the  second  mate  for  keeping  the  crew  em- 
ployed was  the  absurd  and  unprofitable  one  of  changing 
the  snug  pole  royal  masts  into  "  sliding  gunters,"  with 
royal  yards  athwart,  man-of-war  fashion. 

Sunday  on  board  the  Clarissa  was  welcomed  as  a  day 
of  respite  from  hard  labor.  The  crew  on  that  day  had 
w  watch  and  watch,"  which  gave  them  an  opportunity  to 
attend  to  many  little  duties  connected  with  their  indi- 
vidual comforts,  that  had  been  neglected  during  the  pre- 
vious week.  This  is  exemplified  in  a  conversation  I  had 
with  Xewhall,  one  of  my  watchmates,  one  pleasant  Sun- 
day morning,  after  breakfast. 

"  Heigh-ho,"  sighed  Xewhall,  with  a  sepulchral  yawn ; 
"  Sunday  has  come  at  last,  and  I  am  glad.  It  is  called  a 
day  of  rest,  but  is  no  day  of  rest  for  me.  I  have  a  thou- 
sand things  to  do  this  forenoon ;  one  hour  has  passed 
away  already,  and  I  don't  know  which  to  do  first." 

"  Indeed  !  what  have  you  to  do  to-day  more  than 
usual?"  I  inquired. 


128  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

"  Not  much  out  of  the  usual  way,  perhaps,  Hawser. 
But  I  must  shave  and  change  my  clothes.  Although  we 
can't  go  to  meeting,  it's  well  enough  for  a  fellow  to  look 
clean  and  decent,  at  least  once  a  week.  I  must  also  Avash 
a  couple  of  shirts,  make  a  cap  out  of  a  piece  of  canvas 
which  I  hooked  the  other  day,  clap  a  patch  on  my  old 
trousers,  stop  a  leak  in  my  pea-jacket,  read  a  chapter  in 
the  Bible,  —  which  I  promised  my  grandmother  in  Lynn- 
field  I  would  do  every  Sunday,  —  and  bottle  off  an  hour's 
sleep." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  if  you  have  so  much  to  do,  no 
time  is  to  be  lost.  You  had  better  go  to  work  at  once." 

"  So  I  will,"  said  he ;  "  and  as  an  hour's  sleep  is  the 
most  important  of  all,  I'll  make  sure  of  that  to  begin  with, 
for  fear  of  accidents.  So,  here  goes." 

And  into  his  berth  he  tumbled  "all  standing,"  and 
was  neither  seen  nor  heard  until  the  watch  was  called 
at  twelve  o'clock. 

But  little  time  was  given  for  the  performance  of  reli- 
gious duties  on  the  Sabbath ;  indeed,  in  the  times  of  which 
I  write,  such  duties  among  sailors  were  little  thought  of. 
Religious  subjects  were  not  often  discussed  in  a  ship's 
forecastle,  and  even  the  distinction  between  various  re- 
ligious sects  and  creeds  was  unheeded,  perhaps  unknown. 
And  yet  the  germ  of  piety  was  implanted  in  the  sailor's 
heart.  His  religion  was  simple,  but  sincere.  Without 
making  professions,  he  believed  in  the  being  of  a  wise 
and  merciful  Creator ;  he  believed  in  a  system  of  future 
rewards  and  punishments ;  he  read  his  Bible,  —  a  book 
which  was  always  found  in  a  sailor's  chest,  —  pinned  his 
faith  upon  the  Gospels,  and  treasured  up  the  precepts  of 
our  Saviour;  he  believed  that  though  his  sins  were  many, 
his  manifold  temptations  would  also  be  remembered.  He 
manifested  but  little  fear  of  death,  relying  firmly  on  the 
mercy  of  the  Almighty. 

My  description  of  the  uninterrupted  labors  of  the  crew 


EMBARKING    FOB   BRAZIL.  129 

on  board  the  Clarissa  may  induce  the  inquiry  how  the 
ship's  company  could  do  with  so  little  sleep ;  and  even 
if  a  sailor  could  catch  a  cat-nap  occasionally  in  his  watch, 
what  must  become  of  the  officers,  who  are  supposed  to  be 
wide  awake  and  vigilant  during  the  hours  they  remain  on 
deck? 

I  can  only  say,  that  on  board  the  Clarissa  there  was  an 
exception  to  this  very  excellent  rule.  Captain  Page,  like 
other  shipmasters  of  the  past,  perhaps  also  of  the  present 
day,  although  bearing  the  reputation  of  a  good  ship- 
master, seldom  troubled  himself  about  ship's  duty  in  the 
night  time.  He  trusted  to  his  officers,  who  were  worthy 
men  and  experienced  sailors.  Between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock  he  turned  in,  and  was  seldom  seen  again  until 
seven  bells,  or  half  past  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
After  he  left  the  deck,  the  officer  of  the  watch,  wrapped 
in  his  pea-jacket,  measured  his  length  on  the  weather 
hencoop,  and  soon  gave  unimpeachable  evidence  of  en- 
joying a  comfortable  nap.  The  remainder  of  the  watch, 
emulating  the  noble  example  of  the  officer,  selected  the 
softest  planks  on  the  deck,  threw  themselves,  nothing 
loath,  into  a  horizontal  position,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
were  transported  into  the  land  of  forgetfulness. 

The  helmsman  only,  of  all  the  ship's  company,  was 
awake,  to  watch  the  wind  and  look  out  for  squalls;  and 
he,  perhaps,  was  nodding  at  his  post,  while  the  brig  was 
moving  through  the  water,  her  head  pointing  by  turns  in 
every  direction  but  the  right  one.  If  the  wind  veered  or 
hauled,  the  yards  remained  without  any  corresponding 
change  in  their  position.  If  more  sail  could  be  set  to 
advantage,  it  was  seldom  done  until  the  sun's  purple  rays 
illumined  the  eastern  horizon,  when  every  man  in  the 
watch  was  aroused,  and  a  great  stir  was  made  on  the 
deck.  When  the  captain  came  up  the  companion-way, 
every  sail  was  properly  set  which  would  draw  to  advan- 
tage, and  the  yards  were  braced  according  to  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind. 


130  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

It  was,  undoubtedly,  owing  to  this  negligence  on  the 
part  of  the  officers  during  the  night  watches,  and  not  to 
any  ill  qualities  on  the  part  of  the  brig,  that  our  passage 
to  Maranham  occupied  over  sixty  days.  And,  undoubt- 
edly, to  this  negligence  may  be  ascribed  the  extraordinary 
length  of  passages  to  and  from  foreign  ports  of  many 
good-sailing  ships  in  these  days. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

MABANHAM    AND    PARA. 

As  we  drew  near  the  equinoctial  line,  I  occasionally 
heard  some  talk  among  the  officers  on  the  subject  of  a 
visit  from  Old  Neptune ;  and  as  there  were  three  of  the 
crew  who  had  never  crossed  the  line,  it  was  thought 
probable  that  the  venerable  sea  god  would  visit  the  brig, 
and  shake  hands  with  the  strangers,  welcoming  them  to 
his  dominions. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  when  the  latitude  was  deter- 
mined by  a  meridian  altitude  of  the  sun,  Captain  Page 
ordered  Collins  to  go  aloft  and  take  a  good  look  around 
the  horizon,  as  it  was  not  unlikely  something  was  in 
sight.  Collins  grinned,  and  went  aloft.  He  soon  hailed 
the  deck  from  the  fore-topsail  yard,  and  said  he  saw  a 
boat  broad  off  on  the  weather  bow,  with  her  sails  spread 
"  wing  and  wing,"  and  steering  directly  for  the  brig. 

"  That's  Old  Neptune  himself!  "  shouted  Captain  Page, 
clapping  his  hands.  "  He  will  soon  be  alongside.  Mr. 
Abbot,"  continued  he,  speaking  to  the  chief  mate,  "let 
the  men  get  their  dinners  at  once.  We  must  be  prepared 
to  receive  the  old  gentleman !  " 

After  dinner,  Mr.  Fail-field  ordered  those  of  the  crew  — 


MARAXHAM   AND    PARA.  131 

including  myself —  who  had  never  crossed  the  line,  into 
the  forecastle,  to  remove  one  of  the  water  casks.  We 
had  no  sooner  descended  the  ladder  than  the  fore-scuttle 
was  closed  and  fastened,  and  we  were  caught  like  rate  in 
a  trap.  Preparations  of  a  noisy  character  were  now  made 
on  deck  for  the  reception  of  Old  Neptune. 

An  hour  —  a  long  and  tedious  one  it  appeared  to  those 
confined  below  —  elapsed  before  the  old  gentleman  got 
within  hail.  At  length  we  heard  a  great  trampling  on 
the  forecastle,  and  anon  a  gruff  voice,  which  seemed  to 
come  from  the  end  of  the  flying  jib-boom,  yelled  out, 
"Brig,  ahoy!" 

"  Hallo  !  "  replied  the  captain. 

"  Have  you  any  strangers  on  board  ?  " 

"  Ay,  ay ! " 

"  Heave  me  a  rope  !  I'll  come  alongside  and  shave 
them  directly!" 

A  cordial  greeting  was  soon  interchanged  between  Cap- 
tain Page  and  Old  Neptune  on  deck,  to  which  we  prison- 
ers listened  with  much  interest.  The  slide  of  the  scuttle 
was  removed,  and  orders  given  for  one  of  the  "  strangers  " 
to  come  on  deck  and  be  shaved.  Anxious  to  develop  the 
mystery  and  be  qualified  to  bear  a  part  in  the  frolic,  I 
pressed  forward  ;  but  as  soon  as  my  head  appeared  above 
the  rim  of  the  scuttle  I  was  seized,  blindfolded,  and  led 
to  the  main  deck,  where  I  was  urged,  by  a  press  of  polite- 
ness I  could  not  withstand,  to  be  seated  on  a  plank.  The 
process  of  shaving  commenced,  which,  owing  to  the  pecu- 
liar roughness  of  the  razor  and  the  repulsive  qualities  of 
the  lather,  was  more  painful  and  disagreeable  than  pleas- 
ant, but  to  which  I  submitted  without  a  murmur.  When 
the  scarifying  process  was  finished,  I  was  told  to  hold  up 
my  head,  raise  my  voice  to  its  highest  pitch,  and  say, 
"  Yarns ! "  I  obeyed  the  mandate,  as  in  duty  bound ;  and 
to  give  full  and  distinct  utterance  to  the  word,  opened 
my  mouth  as  if  about  to  swallow  a  whale,  when  some 


132  JACK   IX   THE   FORECASTLE. 

remorseless  knave,  amid  shouts  of  laughter  from  the  sur- 
rounding group,  popped  into  my  open  mouth  the  huge 
tar  brush,  well  charged  with  the  unsavory  ingredients 
for  shaving. 

I  now  thought  my  trials  were  over.  Not  so.  I  was 
interrogated  through  a  speaking  trumpet  on  several  mis- 
cellaneous subjects ;  but,  suspecting  some  trick,  my 
answers  were  brief  and  given  through  closed  teeth.  At 
length,  Captain  Page  exclaimed,  "  Old  Neptune,  this  will 
never  do.  Give  him  a  speaking  trumpet  also,  and  let 
him  answer  according  to  rule,  and  in  shipshape  fashion, 
so  that  we  can  all  hear  and  understand  him." 

I  put  the  trumpet  to  my  mouth,  and  to  the  next  ques- 
tion attempted  to  reply  in  stunning  tones,  "  None  of  your 
business ! "  —  for  I  was  getting  impatient,  and  felt  some- 
what angry.  The  sentence  was  but  half  uttered  when 
a  whole  bucket  of  salt  water  was  hurled  into  the  broad 
end  of  the  speaking  trumpet,  which  conducted  it  into 
my  mouth  and  down  my  throat,  nearly  producing  stran- 
gulation ;  at  the  same  time,  the  seat  was  pulled  from 
beneath  me,  and  I  was  plunged  over  head  and  ears  in 
the  briny  element. 

As  soon  as  I  recovered  my  breath,  the  bandage  was 
removed  from  my  eyes,  and  I  found  myself  floating  in  the 
long  boat,  which  had  been  nearly  filled  with  water  for 
the  occasion,  and  surrounded  by  as  jovial  a  set  of  fellows 
as  ever  played  off  a  practical  joke.  Old  Neptune  proved 
to  be  Jim  Sinclair,  of  Marblehead,  but  so  disguised  that 
his  own  mother  could  not  have  known  him.  His  ill- 
favored  and  weather-beaten  visage  was  covered  with 
streaks  of  paint,  like  the  face  of  a  wild  Indian  on  the 
war-path.  He  had  a  thick  beard  made  of  oakum ;  and  a 
wig  of  rope-yarns,  the  curls  hanging  gracefully  on  his 
shoulders,  was  surmounted  with  a  paper  cap,  fashioned 
and  painted  so  as  to  bear  a  greater  resemblance  to  the 
papal  tiara  than  to  the  diadem  of  the  ocean  monarch.  In 


MARANHAM    AXD    PARA.  133 

one  hand  he  held  a  huge  speaking  trumpet,  and  in  the 
other  he  brandished,  instead  of  a  trident,  the  ship's  granes 
with  five  prongs! 

The  other  strangers  to  Old  Neptune  were  subsequently 
compelled  to  go  through  the  same  ceremonies,  in  which  I 
assisted  with  a  hearty  good  will ;  and  those  who  did  not 
patiently  submit  to  the  indignities,  received  the  roughest 
treatment.  The  shades  of  evening  fell  before  the  frolic 
was  over,  and  the  wonted  order  and  discipline  restored. 

It  was  formerly  the  invariable  practice  with  all  Amer- 
ican and  British  vessels  to  observe  ceremonies,  when 
crossing  the  line,  of  a  character  similar  to  those  I  have 
described,  varying,  of  course,  according  to  the  taste  of 
the  commander  of  the  vessel  and  other  circumstances. 
In  a  large  ship,  with  a  numerous  crew,  when  it  was 
deemed  expedient  to  be  particularly  classical,  Neptune 
appeared  in  full  costume,  accompanied  by  the  fair  Amphi- 
trite,  decorated  with  a  profusion  of  sea-weed  or  gulf-weed, 
shells,  coral,  and  other  emblems  of  salt  water  sovereignty, 
and  followed  by  a  group  of  Tritons  and  Nereids  fantas- 
tically arrayed.  Sometimes,  and  especially  when  remon- 
strances were  made  to  the  mandates  of  the  sea  god,  and 
his  authority  was  questioned  in  a  style  bordering  on  re- 
bellion, the  proceedings  were  of  a  character  which  bore 
unjustifiably  severe  on  his  recusant  subjects.  Instances 
have  been  known  where  keel-hauling  has  been  resorted 
to  as  an  exemplary  punishment  for  a  refractory  indi- 
vidual. 

This  cruel  and  inhuman  mode  of  punishment,  in  former 
ages,  was  not  uncommon  in  ships  of  war  of  all  nations. 
It  was  performed  by  fastening  a  rope  around  the  body  of 
an  individual,  beneath  the  armpits,  as  he  stood  on  the 
weather  gunwale.  One  end  of  the  rope  was  passed  be- 
neath the  keel  and  brought  up  to  the  deck  on  the  opposite 
side,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  half  a  dozen  stout  sea- 
men. The  man  was  then  pushed  overboard,  and  the  men 

12 


134  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

stationed  to  leeward  commenced  hauling,  while  those  to 
windward  gently  "  eased  away  "  the  other  end  of  the  rope. 
The  victim  was  thus,  by  main  force,  dragged  beneath  the 
keel,  and  hauled  up  to  the  deck  on  the  other  side.  The 
operation,  when  adroitly  performed,  occupied  but  a  short 
time  in  the  estimation  of  the  bystanders,  although  it  must 
have  seemed  ages  to  the  poor  fellow  doomed  to  undergo 
the  punishment.  Sometimes  a  leg  or  an  arm  would  come 
in  contact  with  the  keel,  and  protract  the  operation  ;  there- 
fore, a  severe  bruise,  a  broken  limb,  a  dislocated  joint,  or 
even  death  itself,  was  not  an  (infrequent  attendant  on  this 
kind  of  punishment ! 

Many  years  ago,  on  board  an  English  East  Indiaman, 
an  officer,  who  had  figured  conspicuously  in  perpetrating 
severe  jokes  on  those  who  were,  for  the  first  time,  intro- 
duced to  Old  Neptune,  was  shot  through  the  head  by  an 
enraged  passenger,  who  could  not,  or  would  not,  appreciate 
the  humor  of  the  performances ! 

The  ceremony  of  "  shaving  when  crossing  the  line "  is 
not  so  generally  observed  as  formerly  in  our  American 
ships;  and,  as  it  is  sometimes  carried  to  unjustifiable 
lengths,  and  can  hardly  be  advocated  on  any  other  ground 
than  ancient  custom,  it  is  in  a  fair  way  to  become  obso- 
lete. 

In  those  days  there  were  no  correct  charts  of  the  northern 
coast  of  Brazil,  and  Captain  Page,  relying  on  such  charts 
as  he  could  obtain,  was  one  night  in  imminent  danger  of 
losing  the  brig,  which  was  saved  only  by  the  sensitiveness 
of  the  olfactory  organs  of  the  second  mate  ! 

It  was  about  six  bells  in  the  middle  watch,  or  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning ;  the  heavens  were  clear  and  un- 
clouded ;  the  stars  shone  with  great  brilliancy  ;  there  was 
a  pleasant  breeze  from  the  south-east,  and  the  ship  was 
gliding  quietly  along,  with  the  wind  abaft  the  beam,  at 
the  rate  of  five  or  six  knots.  Suddenly  Mr.  Fairfield, 
whose  nose  was  not  remarkable  for  size,  but  might  with 


MAE  AX  II  AM   AND    PARA.  135 

propriety  be  classed  among  the  snubs,  ceased  to  play  upon 
it  its  accustomed  tune  in  the  night  watches,  sprang  from 
the  hen-coop,  on  which  he  had  been  reclining,  and  began 
to  snuff  the  air  in  an  eager  and  agitated  manner!  He 
snuffed  again ;  he  stretched  his  head  over  the  weather 
quarter  and  continued  to  snuff!  I  was  at  the  helm,  and 
was  not  a  little  startled  at  his  strange  and  unaccountable 
conduct.  I  had  almost  convinced  myself  that  he  was 
laboring  under  a  sudden  attack  of  insanity,  when,  turning 
round,  he  abruptly  asked  me  if  I  could  not  smell  the 
l&ndt 

I  snuffed,  but  could  smell  nothing  unusual,  and  frankly 
told  him  so ;  upon  which  he  went  forward  and  asked  Xew- 
hall  and  Collins  if  either  of  them  could  smell  the  land. 
Xewhall  said  "no;"  but  Collins,  after  pointing  his  nose  to 
windward,  declared  he  "  could  smell  it  plainly,  and  that  the 
smell  resembled  beefsteak  and  onions  ! " 

To  this,  after  a  long  snuff,  the  mate  assented  adding 
that  beef  was  abundant  in  Brazil,  and  the  people  were  no- 
toriously fond  of  garlic !  Collins  afterwards  acknowledged 
that  he  could  smell  nothing,  but  was  bound  to  have  as 
good  a  nose  as  the  second  mate ! 

Upon  the  strength  of  this  additional  testimony  Mr. 
Fairfield  called  the  captain,  who  snuffed  vigorously,  but 
without  effect.  He  could  smell  neither  land,  nor  "beef- 
steak and  onions."  He  was  also  incredulous  in  regard  to 
our  proximity  to  the  shore,  but  very  properly  concluded, 
as  it  was  so  near  daylight,  to  heave  the  brig  to,  with  her 
head  off  shore,  until  we  could  test  the  correctness  of  the 
second  mate's  nose ! 

After  waiting  impatiently  a  couple  of  hours  we  could 
get  glimpses  along  the  southern  horizon,  and,  to  the 
surprise  of  Captain  Page,  and  the  triumph  of  the  second 
mate,  the  land  was  visible  in  the  shape  of  a  long,  low, 
hummocky  beach,  and  not  more  than  three  leagues  distant. 
When  Mr.  Fairfield  first  scented  it  we  were  probably  not 


136  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

more  than  four  or  five  miles  from  the  shore,  towards  which 
we  were  steering  on  a  diagonal  course. 

The  land  we  fell  in  with  was  some  three  or  four  degrees 
to  windward  of  Maranham.  On  the  following  day  we 
entered  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  anchored  opposite  the 
city. 

Before  we  had  been  a  week  in  port  a  large  English  ship, 
bound  to  Maranham,  went  ashore  in  the  night  on  the  very 
beach  which  would  have  wrecked  the  Clarissa,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  extraordinary  acuteness  of  Mr.  Fail-field's 
nose,  and  became  a  total  wreck.  The  officers  and  crew  re- 
mained near  the  spot  for  several  days  to  save  what  property 
they  could,  and  gave  a  lamentable  account  of  their  suffer- 
ings. They  were  sheltered  from  the  heat  of  the  sun  by 
day,  and  the  dews  and  rains  by  night,  by  tents  rudely  con- 
structed from  the  ship's  sails.  But  these  tents  could  not 
protect  the  men  from  the  sand-flies  and  mosquitoes,  and 
their  annoyance  from  those  insects  must  have  been  in- 
tolerable. The  poor  fellows  shed  tears  when  they  told  the 
tale  of  their  trials,  and  pointed  to  the  ulcers  on  their 
limbs  as  evidence  of  the  ferocity  of  the  mosquitoes ! 

It  appeared,  also,  that  their  provisions  fell  short,  and  they 
would  have  suffered  from  hunger  were  it  not  that  the 
coast,  which  was  but  sparsely  inhabited,  abounded  in  wild 
turkeys,  as  they  said,  of  which  they  shot  several,  which 
furnished  them  with  "delicious  food."  They  must  have 
been  excessively  hungry,  or  blessed  with  powerful  imagi- 
nations, for,  on  cross-examination,  these  "  wild  turkeys " 
proved  to  be  turkey  buzzards,  or  carrion  vultures,  most 
filthy  creatures,  which,  in  many  places  where  the  decay  of 
animal  matter  is  common,  act  faithfully  the  part  of  scaven- 
gers, and  their  flesh  is  strongly  tinctured  with  the  quality 
of  their  food. 

St.  Louis  de  Maranham  is  a  large  and  wealthy  city,  situ- 
ated near  the  mouth  of  the  Maranham  River,  about  two 
degrees  and  a  half  south  of  the  equator.  The  city  is  em- 


MARAXHAM    A!N~D    PARA.  137 

bellished  with  many  fine  buildings,  among  which  is  the 
palace  of  the  governor  of  the  province,  and  many  richly 
endowed  churches  or  cathedrals.  These  numerous  church- 
es were  each  furnished  with  bells  by  the  dozen,  which 
were  continually  ringing,  tolling,  or  playing  tunes  from 
morning  until  night,  as  if  vieing  with  each  other,  in  a 
paroxysm  of  desperation,  which  should  make  the  most 
deafening  clamor.  I  have  visited  many  Catholic  cities,  but 
never  met  with  a  people  so  extravagantly  fond  of  the 
music  of  bells  as  the  inhabitants  of  Maranham. 

This  perpetual  ringing  and  pealing  of  bells,  of  all  sizes 
and  tones,  at  first  astonishes  and  rather  amuses  a  stranger, 
who  regards  it  as  a  part  of  the  rejoicings  at  some  great 
festival.  But,  when  day  after  day  passes,  and  there  is  no 
cessation  of  these  clanging  sounds,  he  becomes  annoyed ; 
at  every  fresh  peal  he  cannot  refrain  from  exclaiming, 
"  Silence  that  dreadful  bell ! "  and  wishes  from  his  heart 
they  were  all  transformed  to  dumb  bells !  Yet,  after  a  time, 
when  the  ear  becomes  familiar  with  the  sounds,  he  regards 
the  discordant  music  of  the  bells  with  indifference.  When 
the  Clarissa  left  the  port  of  Maranham,  after  having  been 
exposed  for  months  to  such  an  unceasing  clang,  something 
seemed  wanting ;  the  crew  found  themselves  involuntarily 
listening  for  the  ringing  of  the  bells,  and  weeks  elapsed 
before  they  became  accustomed  and  reconciled  to  the  ab- 
sence of  the  stunning  tintinabulary  clatter ! 

The  city  of  Maranham  was  inhabited  almost  entirely  by 
Portuguese,  or  the  descendants  of  Portuguese.  We  found 
no  persons  there  of  foreign  extraction,  excepting  a  few 
British  commission  merchants.  There  was  not  a  French, 
a  German,  or  an  American  commercial  house  in  the  place. 
The  Portuguese  are  a  people  by  no  means  calculated  to 
gain  the  kind  consideration  and  respect  of  foreigners. 
They  may  possess  much  intrinsic  worth,  but  it  is  so  cov- 
i-:vl  with,  or  concealed  beneath  a  cloak  of  arrogance  and 
self-esteem,  among  the  higher  classes,  and  of  ignorance, 

12* 


133  JACK   IT*   THE    FORECASTLE. 

superstition,  incivility,  and  knavery  among  the  lower,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  appreciate  it.  Of  their  courtesy  to  stran- 
gers, a  little  incident,  which  occurred  to  Captain  Page 
while  in  Maranham,  will  furnish  an  illustration. 

Passing,  one  day,  by  a  large  cathedral,  he  found  many 
persons  entering  the  edifice  or  standing  near  the  doorway, 
an  indication  that  some  holy  rites  were  about  to  be  cele- 
brated. Wishing  to  view  the  ceremony,  he  joined  the 
throng  and  entered  the  church,  which  was  already  crowded 
by  persons  of  all  ranks.  Pressing  forward  he  found  a  va- 
cant spot  on  the  floor  of  the  cathedral,  in  full  view  of  the 
altar.  Here  he  took  his  stand,  and  gazed  with  interest  on 
the  proceedings. 

He  soon  perceived  that  he  was  the  observed  of  all  ob- 
servers; that  he  was  stared  at  as  an  object  of  interest  and 
no  little  amusement  by  persons  in  his  immediate  vicinity, 
who,  notwithstanding  their  saturnine  temperaments,  could 
not  suppress  their  smiles,  and  winked  and  nodded  to  each 
other,  at  the  same  time  pointing  slyly  towards  him,  as  if 
there  was  some  capital  joke  on  hand  in  which  he  bore  a 
conspicuous  part.  His  indignation  may  be  imagined  when 
he  discovered  that  he  had  been  standing  directly  beneath 
a  huge  chandelier,  which  was  well  supplied  with  lighted 
wax  candles,  and  the  drops  of  melted  wax  were  continu- 
ally falling,  from  a  considerable  height,  upon  his  new  dress 
coat,  and  the  drops  congealing,  his  coat  looked  as  if  cov- 
ered with  spangles !  Not  one  of  the  spectators  of  this 
scene  was  courteous  enough  to  give  him  a  hint  of  his  mis- 
fortune, but  all  seemed  to  relish,  with  infinite  gusto,  the 
mishap  of  the  stranger. 

Captain  Page  found  in  Maranham  a  dull  market  for  his 
East  India  goods.  His  provisions  and  his  flour,  however, 
brought  a  good  price,  but  the  greatest  per  centum  of  profit 
was  made  on  cigars.  One  of  the  owners  of  the  Clarissa 
stepped  into  an  auction  store  in  State  Street  one  day,  when 
a  lot  of  fifty  thousand  cigars,  imported  in  an  English  vessel 


MARAXHAM   AND    PARA.  189 

from  St.  Jago  de  Cuba,  were  put  up  for  sale.  The  duty 
on  foreign  cigars,  at  that  time,  was  three  dollars  and  a 
half  a  thousand.  These  cigars  had  been  regularly  entered 
at  the  custom  house,  and  were  entitled  to  debenture, 
that  is,  to  a  return  of  the  duties,  on  sufficient  proof  being 
furnished  that  they  had  been  exported  and  landed  in  a 
foreign  port.  As  there  were  few  bidders,  and  the  cigars 
were  of  inferior  quality,  the  owner  of  the  Clarissa  bought 
the  lot  at  the  rate  of  three  dollars  per  thousand,  and  put 
them  on  board  the  brig.  They  were  sold  in  Maranham  as 
"  Cuban  cigars,"  for  fifteen  dollars  a  thousand,  and  on  the 
return  of  the  brig  the  custom  house  handed  over  the  de- 
benture—  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  thousand !  This  was 
what  may  be  called  a  neat  speculation,  certainly  a  safe 
one,  as  the  return  duty  alone  would  have  covered  the  cost 
and  expenses ! 

In  the  river,  opposite  the  city,  the  current  was  rapid,  es- 
pecially during  the  ebb  tide,  and  sharks  were  numerous. 
We  caught  three  or  four  heavy  and  voracious  ones  with  a 
shark-hook  while  lying  at  anchor.  Only  a  few  days  before 
we  arrived  a  negro  child  was  carried  off  by  one  of  these 
monsters,  while  bathing  near  the  steps  of  the  public  land- 
ing-place, and  devoured. 

A  few  days  before  Ave  left  port  I  sculled  ashore  in  the 
yawl,  bearing  a  message  from  the  mate  to  the  captain.  It 
\va.s  nearly  low  water,  the  flood  tide  having  just  com- 
menced, and  I  hauled  the  boat  on  the  flats,  calculating  to 
be  absent  but  a  few  minutes.  Having  been  delayed  by 
business,  when  I  approached  the  spot  where  I  left  the 
boat  I  found,  to  my  great  mortification,  that  the  boat  had 
floated  with  the  rise  of  the  tide,  and  was  borne  by  a  fresh 
Imvze  some  twenty  or  thirty  yards  from  the  shore.  My 
chagrin  may  be  imagined  when  I  beheld  the  boat  drifting 
morrily  up  the  river,  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  knots  an 
hour ! 

I  stood  on  the  shore  and  gazed  wistfully  on  the  depart- 


140  JACK    IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

ing  yawl.  There  was  no  boat  in  the  vicinity,  and  only 
one  mode  of  arresting  the  progress  of  the  fugitive.  I  al- 
most wept  through  vexation.  I  hesitated  one  moment  on 
account  of  the  sharks,  then  plunged  into  the  river,  and 
with  rapid  and  strong  strokes  swam  towards  the  boat.  I 
was  soon  alongside,  seized  the  gunwale,  and,  expecting 
every  moment  that  a  shark  would  seize  me  by  the  leg,  by 
a  convulsive  movement  threw  myself  into  the  boat. 

As  I  sculled  back  towards  the  place  from  which  the 
boat  had  drifted  Captain  Page  came  down  to  the  water 
side.  He  had  witnessed  the  scene  from  a  balcony,  and  ad- 
ministered a  severe  rebuke  for  my  foolhardiness  in  swim- 
ming off  into  the  river,  particularly  during  the  young 
flood,  which  brought  the  voracious  monsters  in  from  the 
sea. 

On  our  passage  to  Maranham,  and  during  a  portion  of 
our  stay  in  that  port,  the  utmost  harmony  prevailed  on 
board.  The  men,  although  kept  constantly  at  work,  were 
nevertheless  satisfied  with  their  treatment.  The  officers 
and  the  crew  were  on  pleasant  terms  with  each  other ;  and 
grumbling  without  cause,  which  is  often  indulged  in  on 
shipboard,  was  seldom  known  in  the  forecastle  of  the 
Clarissa.  But  it  happened,  unfortunately  for  our  peace 
and  happiness,  that  Captain  Page  added  two  men  to  his 
crew  in  Maranham.  One  of  them  was  an  Englishman, 
one  of  the  poor  fellows,  who,  when  shipwrecked  on  the 
coast,  were  nearly  eaten  up  by  the  mosquitoes,  and  who  in 
turn  banqueted  on  turkey  buzzards,  as  the  greatest  of 
luxuries !  He  was  a  stout,  able-bodied  sailor,  but  igno- 
rant, obstinate,  insolent,  and  quarrelsome  —  one  of  those 
men  who,  always  dissatisfied  and  uncomfortable,  seem  to 
take  pains  to  make  others  unhappy  also. 

The  other  was  a  native  of  New  England.  He  had  met 
with  various  strange  adventures,  and  been  impressed  on 
board  an  English  man-of-war,  where  he  had  served  a 
couple  of  years,  and,  according  to  his  own  statement,  been 


MAKANHAM    AXD    PARA.  141 

twice  flogged  at  the  gangway.  He  was  a  shrewd  fellow, 
impatient  under  the  restraints  of  discipline  ;  always  com- 
plaining of  "  the  usage  "  in  the  Clarissa,  and  being  some- 
thing of  a  sea  lawyer,  and  liberally  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  speech,  exercised  a  controlling  influence  over  the  crow, 
and  in  conjunction  with  the  Englishman,  kept  the  ship's 
company  in  that  unpleasant  state  of  tumult  and  rebellion, 
known  as  "  hot  water,"  until  the  end  of  the  voyage. 

One  or  two  men,  of  a  character  similar  to  those  I  have 
described,  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  vessel,  and  are 
always  the  cause  of  more  or  less  trouble ;  —  of  discontent 
and  insolence  on  the  part  of  the  crew,  and  of  correspond- 
ing harsh  treatment  on  the  part  of  the  officers ;  and  the 
ship  which  is  destined  to  be  the  home,  for  months,  of  men 
who,  under  other  circumstances,  would  be  brave,  manly, 
and  obedient,  and  which  should  be  the  abode  of  kindness, 
comfort,  and  harmony,  becomes  a  Pandemonium,  where 
cruelty  and  oppression  are  practised  —  a  gladiatorial  arena, 
where  quarrels,  revolts,  and  perhaps  murders,  are  enacted. 
When  such  men,  determined  promoters  of  strife,  are 
found  among  a  ship's  company,  they  should  be  got  rid  of 
at  any  cost,  with  the  earliest  opportunity. 

When  our  cargo  was  disposed  of  at  Maranham  wre  pro- 
ceeded down  the  coast  to  the  city  of  Para,  on  one  of  the 
mouths  of  the  Amazon.  Here  we  received  a  cargo  of 
cacao  for  the  United  States.  There  was,  at  that  time,  a 
vast  quantity  of  wild,  uncultivated  forest  land  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  province,  which  may  account  for  the  many 
curious  specimens  of  wild  living  animals  which  we  met 
with  at  that  place.  Indeed  the  city  seemed  one  vast  me- 
nagerie, well  stocked  with  birds,  beasts,  and  creeping 
things. 

Of  the  birds,  the  parrot  tribe  held  the  most  conspicuous 
place.  They  were  of  all  colors  and  sizes,  from  the  large, 
awkward-looking  mackaw,  with  his  hoarse,  discordant  note, 


142  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

to  the  little,  delicate-looking  paroquet,  dumb  as  a  barnacle, 
and  not  bigger  than  a  wren.  The  monkeys,  of  all  sizes, 
forms,  and  colors,  continually  chattering  and  grimacing,  as 
fully  represented  the  four-footed  animals  as  the  parrots  did 
the  bipeds.  We  found  there  the  mongoose,  but  little 
larger  than  a  squirrel ;  an  animal  almost  as  intelligent  as 
the  monkey,  but  far  more  interesting  and  attractive.  The 
hideous-looking  sloth,  with  his  coarse  hair,  resembling 
Carolina  moss,  his  repulsive  physiognomy,  his  strong, 
crooked  claws,  his  long  and  sharp  teeth,  darkly  dyed  with 
the  coloring  matter  of  the  trees  and  shrubs  which  consti- 
tuted his  diet,  was  thrust  in  our  faces  in  every  street ;  and 
the  variegated  venomous  serpent,  with  his  prehensile 
fangs,  and  the  huge  boa  constrictor,  writhing  in  captivity, 
were  encountered  as  desirable  articles  of  merchandise  at 
every  corner. 

But  the  mosquitoes  at  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon  were 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable,  as  well  as  the  most  blood- 
thirsty animals  which  abounded  in  that  region.  They 
were  remarkable  not  only  for  size,  but  for  voracity  and 
numbers.  This  insect  is  a  pest  in  every  climate.  I  have 
found  them  troublesome  on  the  bar  of  the  Mississippi  in 
the  heat  of  summer ;  and  at  the  same  season  exceedingly 
annoying  while  navigating  the  Dwina  on  the  way  to 
Archangel.  In  the  low  lands  of  Java  they  are  seen, 
heard,  and  felt  to  a  degree  destructive  to  comfort ;  and  in 
certain  localities  in  the  West  Indies  are  the  direct  cause 
of  intense  nervous  excitement,  loud  and  bitter  denunci- 
ations, and  fierce  anathemas.  But  the  mosquitoes  that 
inhabit  the  country  bordering  on  the  mouths  of  the 
Amazon  must  bear  away  the  palm  from  every  other  por- 
tion of  the  globe. 

Every  part  of  our  brig  was  seized  upon  by  these  maraud- 
ing insects  ;  no  nook  or  corner  was  too  secluded  for  their 
presence,  and  no  covering  seemed  impervious  to  their 


MARAXHAM    AND    PARA.  143 

bills.  Their  numbers  were  at  all  times  incredible  ;  but  at 
the  commencement  of  twilight  they  seemed  to  inciv;i>", 
and  actually  formed  clouds  above  the  deck,  or  to  speak 
more  correctly,  one  continuous  living  cloud  hovered  above 
the  deck,  and  excluded  to  a  certain  extent  the  rays  of 
light. 

There  being  no  mosquito  bars  attached  to  the  berths 
in  the  forecastle,  the  foretop  was  the  only  place  in  which 
I  could  procure  a  few  hours'  repose.  There  I  took  up  my 
lodgings,  and  my  rest  was  seldom  disturbed  excepting  oc- 
casionally by  the  visits  of  a  few  of  the  most  venturous 
and  aspiring  of  the  mosquito  tribe,  or  a  copious  shower 
of  rain. 

An  incident,  it  was  said,  occurred  on  board  a  ship  in 
the  harbor,  which,  if  correctly  stated,  furnishes  a  striking 
proof  of  the  countless  myriads  of  mosquitoes  which 
abound  in  Para.  One  of  the  sailors,  who  occupied  a  por- 
tion of  the  foretop  as  a  sleeping  room,  unfortunately 
rolled  over  the  rim  of  the  top  one  night  while  locked  in 
the  embraces  of  Somnus.  He  fell  to  the  deck,  where  he 
would  inevitably  have  broken  his  neck  were  it  not  for  the 
dense  body  of  mosquitoes,  closely  packed,  which  hovered 
over  the  deck,  awaiting  their  turn  for  a  delicious  banquet. 
This  elastic  body  of  living  insects  broke  Jack's  fall,  and 
let  him  down  gently  to  the  deck  without  doing  him 
harm. 

Fortunately  it  was  not  necessary  to  tarry  a  long  time 
in  Para.  We  took  on  board  a  cargo  of  cacao  in  bulk, 
and  sailed  on  our  return  to  Salem.  As  we  approached 
the  coast  of  the  United  States  we  experienced  much 
cloudy  weather,  and  for  several  days  no  opportunity 
offered  for  observing  any  unusual  phenomena  in  the 
heavens.  But  one  pleasant  evening,  as  we  were  entering 
the  South  Channel,  being  on  soundings  south-east  of  Nan- 
tucket,  one  of  the  crew,  who  was  leaning  over  the  lee 


144  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

gunwale,  was  struck  with  the  strange  appearance  of  a 
star,  which  shone  with  unusual  brilliancy,  and  left  a  long, 
broad,  and  crooked  wake  behind. 

His  exclamation  of  surprise  caused  every  eye  to  be 
directed  to  the  spot,  about  fifty-five  degrees  above  the 
eastern  horizon,  pointed  out  by  our  observing  shipmate  — 
and  there  in  full  view,  to  the  admiration  of  some  and  the 
teiTor  of  others,  the  comet  of  1811  stood  confessed  ! 

The  men  indulged  in  wild  speculations  respecting  the 
character  of  this  mysterious  visitor,  but  all  concurred  in 
the  belief  that  it  was  the  messenger  of  a  superior  power, 
announcing  the  coming  of  some  fearful  national  evil,  such 
as  a  terrible  earthquake,  a  devastating  pestilence,  or  a 
fierce  and  bloody  war.  Our  country  was  engaged  in  a 
war  with  a  powerful  nation  within  the  following  year ;  but 
to  those  who  watched  the  signs  of  the  times,  and  remem- 
bered the  capture  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  were  aware  of 
the  impressment  of  our  seamen,  the  confiscation  of  prop- 
erty belonging  to  our  citizens  captured  on  the  high  seas 
without  even  a  decent  pretence,  and  the  many  indignities 
heaped  on  our  government  and  people  by  Great  Britain, 
it  needed  no  gifted  seer  or  celestial  visitant  to  foretell 
that  an  obstinate  war  with  that  haughty  power  was  inev- 
itable. 

A  few  days  after  the  discovery  of  the  comet  furnished 
such  a  liberal  scope  for  conjecture  and  comment  in  the 
forecastle  and  the  cabin,  about  the  middle  of  October, 
1811,  we  arrived  in  Salem,  having  been  absent  between 
eight  and  nine  months. 


SHIP   PACKET    OF   BOSTON.  145 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

SHIP     PACKET     OF     BOSTON. 

HAVING  been  two  voyages  to  the  West  Indies  and  one 
to  the  Brazils,  I  began  to  regard  myself  as  a  sailor  of  no 
little  experience.  When  rigged  out  in  my  blue  jacket  and 
trousers,  with  a  neatly  covered  straw  hat,  a  black  silk 
kerchief  tied  jantily  around  my  neck,  I  felt  confidence 
in  my  own  powers  and  resources,  and  was  ready,  and,  as 
I  thought,  able  to  grapple  with  any  thing  in  the  shape  of 
good  or  ill  fortune  that  might  come  along.  I  was  aware 
that  succes  in  life  depended  on  my  own  energies,  and  I 
looked  forward  to  a  brilliant  career  in  the  arduous  calling 
which  I  had  embraced.  Like  Ancient  Pistol,  I  could  say, — 

"  The  world's  mine  oyster, 
"Which  I  with  sword  will  open  !  " 

with  this  difference,  that  I  proposed  to  substitute,  for  the 
present  at  least,  a  marlinspike  for  the  sword. 

Captain  Page  invited  me  to  remain  by  the  Clarissa  and 
accompany  him  on  a  voyage  to  Gibraltar,  but  I  felt  de- 
sirous of  trying  my  fortune  and  gain  knowledge  of  my 
calling  in  a  good  ship  bound  to  the  East  Indies,  or  on  a 
fur-trading  voyage  to  the  "  north-west  coast "  of  America. 

At  that  time  the  trade  with  the  Indians  for  furs  on  the 
"  north-west  coast "  was  carried  on  extensively  from  Boston. 
The  ships  took  out  tobacco,  molasses,  blankets,  hardware, 
and  trinkets  in  large  quantities.  Proceeding  around  Cape 
Horn,  they  entered  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  reaching  the 
north-west  coast,  anchored  in  some  of  the  bays  and  harbors 
north  of  Columbia  River.  They  were  visited  by  canoes 
from  the  shore,  and  traffic  commenced.  The  natives  ex- 
changed their  furs  for  articles  useful  or  ornamental.  The 
ship  went  from  port  to  port  until  a  cargo  of  furs  was  ob- 
13 


146  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

tained,  and  then  sailed  for  Canton,  and  disposed  of  them  to 
the  Chinese  for  silks  and  teas.  After  an  absence  of  a  couple 
of  years  the  ship  would  return  to  the  United  States  with  a 
cargo  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Some  of  the 
most  eminent  merchants  in  Boston,  in  this  way,  laid  the 
foundation  of  their  fortunes. 

This  trade  was  not  carried  on  without  risk.  The  north- 
west coast  of  America  at  that  period  had  not  been  sur- 
veyed; no  good  charts  had  been  constructed,  and  the 
shores  were  lined  with  reefs  and  sunken  rocks,  which, 
added  to  a  climate  where  boisterous  winds  prevailed,  ren- 
dered the  navigation  dangerous. 

This  traffic  was  attended  with  other  perils.  The  Indians 
were  bloodthirsty  and  treacherous;  and  it  required  con- 
stant vigilance  on  the  part  of  a  ship's  company  to  prevent 
their  carrying  into  execution  some  deep-laid  plan  to 
massacre  the  crew  and  gain  possession  of  the  ship.  For 
this  reason  the  trading  vessels  were  always  well  armed 
and  strongly  manned.  With  such  means  of  defence,  and 
a  reasonable  share  of  prudence  on  the  part  of  the  captain, 
there  was  but  little  danger.  But  the  captain  and  officers 
were  not  always  prudent.  Deceived  by  the  smiles  and 
humility  of  the  natives,  they  sometimes  allowed  them  to 
come  on  board  in  large  numbers,  when,  at  a  signal  from 
their  chief,  they  drew  their  arms  from  beneath  their  gar- 
ments and  commenced  the  work  of  death.  After  they  had 
become  masters  of  the  ship,  they  would  cut  the  cables  and 
let  her  drift  ashore,  gaining  a  valuable  prize  in  the  cargo, 
in  the  iron  and  copper  bolts,  spikes,  and  nails  with  which 
the  timbers  and  planks  were  fastened  together,  and  in  the 
tools,  furniture,  clothing,  and  arms.  A  number  of  vessels 
belonging  to  New  England  were  in  this  way  cut  off  by  the 
savages  on  the  "north-west  coast,"  and  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts were  made  on  others. 

The  "  ower  true  tales  "  of  disasters  and  massacres  on  the 
u  north-west  coast "  seemed  to  invest  a  voyage  to  that 


SHIP    PACKET    OF    BOSTON.  147 

quarter  with  a  kind  of  magic  attraction  or  fascination  as 
viewed  through  the  medium  of  a  youthful  imagination ; 
and  a  voyage  of  this  description  would  give  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  perfect  myself  in  much  which  pertained  to  the 
sailor  and  navigator. 

After  a  delay  of  a  few  weeks  the  opportunity  offered 
which  I  so  eagerly  sought.  The  ship  Packet  was  prepar- 
ing for  a  voyage  from  Boston  to  the  north-west  coast,  via, 
Liverpool,  and  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  situation  on 
board  that  ship  before  the  mast.  I  hastened  to  Boston 
and  took  up  my  temporary  abode  at  a  boarding  house, 
kept  by  Mrs.  Lillibridge,  a  widow,  in  Spring  Lane,  on  or 
near  the  spot  on  which  the  vestry  of  the  Old  South 
Church  now  stands.  I  called  immediately  on  the  agents, 
and  obtained  information  in  relation  to  the  details  of  the 
voyage,  and  commenced  making  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions. 

Several  merchants  were  interested  in  this  contemplated 
voyage,  but  the  business  was  transacted  by  the  mercantile 
house  of  Messrs.  Ropes  and  Pickman,  on  Central  Wharf. 
This  firm  had  not  been  long  engaged  in  business.  Indeed, 
both  the  partners  were  young  men,  but  they  subsequently 
became  well  known  to  the  community.  Benjamin  T.  Pick- 
man became  interested  in  politics,  and  rendered  good  ser- 
vice in  the  legislature.  On  several  occasions  he  received 
marks  of  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  in  his  ability 
and  integrity.  He  was  elected  to  the  Senate,  and  was 
chosen  president  of  that  body.  He  died  in  1835.  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Ropes,  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  fifty  years  ago, 
after  having  pursued  an  honorable  mercantile  career  at 
home  and  abroad,  occupies  at  this  time  a  high  position 
as  an  enterprising  and  successful  merchant  and  a  public- 
spirited  citizen. 

I  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  clothes,  such  as  were  needed 
on  a  voyage  to  that  inclement  part  of  the  world,  provided 
myself  with  various  comforts  for  a  long  voyage,  and  pur- 


148  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

chased  as  large  an  assortment  of  books  as  my  limited 
funds  would  allow, — not  forgetting  writing  materials,  blank 
journals,  and  every  thing  requisite  for  obtaining  a  good 
practical  knowledge  of  navigation,  and  of  other  subjects 
useful  to  a  shipmaster. 

The  Packet  was  a  beautiful  ship,  of  about  three  hundred 
tons  burden,  originally  intended  as  a  regular  trader  be- 
tween Boston  and  Liverpool ;  but  in  consequence  of  her 
superior  qualities  was  purchased  on  the  termination  of  her 
first  voyage  for  this  expedition  to  the  north-west  coast. 
She  was  to  be  commanded  by  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  a  young, 
active,  and  highly  intelligent  shipmaster,  who  a  few  years 
before  had  sailed  as  a  mate  with  Captain  William  Sturgis, 
and  had  thus  studied  the  principles  of  his  profession  in  a 
good  school,  and  under  a  good  teacher.  He  had  made  one 
successful  voyage  to  that  remote  quarter  in  command  of  a 
ship.  Captain  Bacon,  as  is  known  to  many  of  my  readers, 
subsequently  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  Boston, 
and  for  many  years,  until  his  death,  not  long  since,  his 
name  was  the  synonyme  of  mercantile  enterprise,  honor, 
and  integrity. 

The  name  of  the  chief  mate  was  Stetson.  He  was  a 
tall,  bony,  muscular  man,  about  forty  years  old.  He  had 
been  bred  to  the  sea,  and  had  served  in  every  capacity. 
He  was  a  thorough  sailor,  and  a  strict  disciplinarian ;  fear- 
less and  arbitrary,  he  had  but  little  sympathy  with  the 
crew ;  his  main  object  being  to  get  the  greatest  quantity 
of  work  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  Stories  were  afloat 
that  he  was  unfeeling  and  tyrannical ;  that  fighting  and 
flogging  were  too  frequent  to  be  agreeable  in  ships  where 
he  was  vested  with  authority.  There  were  even  vague 
rumors  in  circulation  that  he  indulged  occasionally  in  the 
unique  and  exciting  amusement  of  shooting  at  men  on  the 
yards  when  engaged  in  reefing  topsails.  These  rumors, 
however,  although  they  invested  the  aspect  and  conduct 
of  the  mate  with  a  singular  degree  of  interest,  were  not 
confirmed. 


SHIP    PACKET    OF    BOSTON.  149 

For  my  own  part,  although  a  little  startled  at  the  noto- 
riety which  Mr.  Stetson  had  achieved,  I  detennined  to  ex- 
ecute my  duties  promptly  and  faithfully  so  far  as  was  in 
my  power,  to  bs  respectful  and  obedient  to  my  superiors 
and  trustworthy  in  every  act,  and  let  the  future  take  care 
of  itself.  Indeed,  this  is  the  line  of  conduct  I  have  en- 
deavored to  follow  in  every  situation  I  have  filled  in  the 
course  of  an  eventful  life,  and  I  can  earnestly  recommend 
it  to  my  youthful  readers  as  eminently  calculated  to  con- 
tribute to  their  present  comfort  and  insure  their  perma- 
nent prosperity. 

In  a  few  days  the  Packet  received  her  cargo,  consisting 
chiefly  of  tobacco  and  molasses.  It  was  arranged  that  she 
should  take  on  board,  in  Liverpool,  bales  of  blankets  and 
coarse  woollen  goods,  and  boxes  containing  various  articles 
of  hardware  and  trinkets,  such  as  would  be  acceptable  to 
the  savages  on  the  coast.  The  ship  was  hauled  into  the 
stream,  and  being  a  fine  model,  freshly  painted,  with  royal 
y.mls  athwart,  and  colors  flying,  and  signal  guns  being 
fired  night  and  morning,  attracted  much  notice  and 
was  the  admiration  of  sailors.  I-  was  proud  of  my  good 
fortune  in  obtaining  a  chance  before  the  mast,  in  such  a 
vessel,  bound  on  such  a- voyage. 

The  crew  was  numerous  for  a  ship  of  three  hundred 
tons,  consisting  of  eight  able  seamen,  exclusive  of  the 
boatswain,  and  four  boys.  Besides  a  cook  and  steward 
we  had  a  captain's  clerk,  an  armorer,  a  carpenter,  and  a 
tailor.  The  ship's  complement,  all  told,  consisting  of 
twenty-two.  For  an  armament  we  carried  four  handsome 
carriage  guns,  besides  boarding  pikes,  cutlasses,  and  mus- 
kets in  abundance.  We  had  also  many  coils  of  rattling 
stufl^  small  rope  for  making  .boarding  nettings,  and  a 
good  supply  of  gunpowder  was  deposited  in  the  maga- 
zine. 

The  sailors  came  on  board,  or  were  brought  on  board 
by  their  landlords,  after  we  had  hauled  from  the  wharf. 

13* 


150  JACK   IN    THE   FOEECA8TLE. 

Some  of  them  were  sober  and  well  behaved,  others  were 
stupid  or  crazy  from  intoxication.  It  required  energy  and 
decision  to  establish  order  and  institute  strict  rules  of  dis- 
cipline among  such  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  web- 
footed  gentry.  But  Mr.  Stetson,  assisted  by  Mr.  Bach- 
elder,  the  second  mate,  was  equal  to  the  task.  Indeed  he 
was  in  his  element  while  directing  the  labors  of  the  men, 
blackguarding  this  one  for  his  stupidity,  anathematizing 
that  one  for  his  indolence,  and  shaking  his  fist  at  another, 
and  menacing  him  with  rough  treatment  for  his  short  an- 
swers and  sulky  looks. 

One  of  the  seamen  who  had  been  brought  on  board 
nearly  dead  drunk,  showed  his  figure-head  above  the  fore- 
scuttle  on  the  following  morning.  His  eyes,  preternatu- 
rally  brilliant,  were  bloodshot,  his  cheeks  were  pale  and 
haggard,  his  long  black  hair  was  matted,  and  he  seemed 
a  personification  of  desperation  and  despondency.  Stet- 
son caught  a  glimpse  of  his  features ;  even  his  fossilized 
heart  was  touched  with  his  appearance  and  he  drove  him 
below. 

"Down  with  you!"  said  he,  shaking  his  brawny  fist  in 
the  drunken  man's  face,  "don't  let  me  see  your  ugly  phiz 
again  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours.  The  sight  of  it  is 
enough  to  frighten  a  land-lubber  into  hysterics,  and  con- 
jure up  a  hurricane  in  the  harbor  before  we  can  let  go 
the  sheet  anchor.  Down  with  you ;  vanish !  Tumble  into 
your  berth  !  Take  another  long  and  strong  nap,  and  then 
turn  out  a  fresh  man,  and  show  yourself  a  sailor ;  or  you'll 
rue  the  day  when  you  first  tasted  salt  water !" 

The  rueful  visage  disappeared,  unable  to  withstand  such 
a  broadside,  and  its  owner  subsequently  proved  to  be 
a  first-rate  seaman,  and  was  an  especial  favorite  with 
Stetson. 

A  circumstance  occurred  while  the  ship  was  in  the 
stream,  where  she  lay  at  anchor  two  or  three  days,  which 
will  convey  a  correct  idea  of  the  character  of  the  mate. 


SHIP  PACKET  OF  BOSTOX.  151 

One  afternoon,  while  all  hands  were  busily  employed  in 
heaving  in  the  slack  of  the  cable,  a  boat,  pulled  by  two 
stout,  able-bodied  men,  came  alongside.  One  of  the  men 
came  on  board,  and  addressing  the  mate,  said  he  had  a 
letter  which  he  wished  to  send  to  Liverpool.  The  mate 
looked  hard  at  the  man,  and  replied  in  a  gruff  and  surly 
tone,  "  We  can't  receive  any  letters  here.  The  letter  bag 
is  at  Ropes  and  Pickman's  counting  room,  and  you  must 
leave  your  letter  there  if  you  want  it  to  go  to  Liverpool 
in  this  ship." 

41  Never  mind,"  exclaimed  the  stranger,  "I  am  acquainted 
with  one  of  the  crew,  and  I  will  hand  it  to  him." 

Regardless  of  Stetson's  threats  of  vengeance  provided 
he  gave  the  letter  into  the  hands  of  any  one  on  board,  the 
man  stepped  forward  to  the  windlass,  and  handed  the  mis- 
sive to  one  of  the  sailors. 

At  this  contempt  of  his  authority  Stetson's  indignation 
knew  no  bounds.  He  roared,  in  a  voice  hoarse  with  passion, 
"  Lay  hold  of  that  scoundrel,  Mr.  Bachelder.  Seize  the 
villain  by  the  throat.  I'll  teach  him  better  than  to  cut 
his  shines  in  a  ship  while  I  have  charge  of  the  deck.  I'll 
seize  him  up  to  the  mizzen  shrouds,  make  a  spread  eagle 
of  him,  give  him  a  cool  dozen,  and  see  how  he  will  like 
that," 

The  stranger,  witnessing  the  mate's  excitement,  and 
hearing  his  violent  language,  seemed  suddenly  conscious 
that  he  had  been  guilty  of  a  terrible  crime,  for  which  he 
was  liable  to  be  punished  without  trial  or  jury.  He  made 
a  spring  over  the  gunwale,  and  eluded  the  grasp  of  Mr. 
Bachelder,  who  followed  him  into  the  main  chain-wales, 
and  grabbed  one  of  his  coat  tails  just  as  he  was  slipping 
into  his  boat ! 

He  struggled  hard  to  get  away,  and  his  companion  raised 
an  oar  and  endeavored  to  strike  the  second  mate  with 
that  ponderous  club.  The  garment  by  which  the  stranger 
was  detained,  fortunately  for  him,  was  not  made  of  such 


152  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

firm  and  solid  materials  as  the  doublet  of  Baillie  Jarvie 
when  he  accompanied  the  Southrons  in  their  invasion  of 
the  Highland  fastnesses  of  Rob  Roy.  The  texture,  un- 
able to  bear  the  heavy  strain,  gave  way ;  the  man  slid  from 
the  chain-wale  into  the  boat,  which  was  quickly  shoved  off, 
and  the  two  terrified  landsmen  pulled  away  from  the  in- 
hospitable ship  with  almost  superhuman  vigor,  leaving  the 
coat-tail  in  the  hands  of  the  second  officer,  who  waved  it 
as  a  trophy  of  victoiy ! 

Meanwhile  Stetson  was  foaming  at  the  mouth  and  rav- 
ing like  a  madman.  He  ordered  the  steward  to  bring  up 
his  pistols  to  shoot  the  rascals,  and  when  it  seemed  likely 
the  offenders  would  escape,  he  called  upon  me,  and  another 
boy,  by  name,  and  in  language  neither  courteous  nor  re- 
fined told  us  to  haul  the  ship's  yawl  alongside  —  and  be 
lively  about  it.  I  instantly  entered  the  boat  from  the  taff- 
rail  by  means  of  the  painter ;  and  in  half  a  minute  the 
boat  was  at  the  gangway,  manned  by  a  couple  of  boys, 
and  Stetson  rushed  down  the  accommodation  ladder,  with 
a  stout  hickory  stick  in  his  hand,  and  without  seating  him- 
self, seized  the  tiller,  and  with  a  tremendous  oath,  ordered 
us  to  shove  off. 

Away  we  went  in  full  chase  after  the  swiftly-receding 
boat,  my  young  shipmate  and  myself  bending  our  backs 
to  the  work  with  all  the  strength  and  skill  of  which  we 
were  master,  while  Stetson  stood  erect  in  the  stern  seats, 
at  one  time  shaking  his  stick  at  the  affrighted  men,  and 
hurling  at  their  heads  volleys  of  curses  both  loud  and 
deep,  at  another,  urging  and  encouraging  us  to  pull 
harder,  or  cursing  us  in  turn  because  we  did  not  gain  on 
the  chase.  The  fugitives  were  dreadfully  alarmed.  They 
pulled  for  their  lives;  and  the  terror  stamped  on  their 
visages  would  have  been  ludicrous,  had  we  not  known 
that  if  we  came  up  with  the  chase  a  contest  would  take 
place  that  might  be  attended  with  serious,  perhaps  fatal, 
results. 


SHIP   PACKET    OF    BOSTON.  153 

The  shore  boat  had  a  good  start,  which  gave  it  an  unfair 
advantage,  and  being  propelled  by  two  vigorous  men,  obey- 
ing an  instinctive  impulse  to  escape  from  an  impending 
danger,  kept  about  the  same  distance  ahead.  They  steered 
for  Long  Wharf — the  nearest  route  to  terra  firma — passed 
the  steps  on  the  north  side,  and  pulled  alongside  a  schooner 
which  was  lying  near  the  T,  clambered  to  her  decks,  leaving 
the  boat  to  her  fate,  nimbly  leaped  ashore,  took  to  their 
heels,  and  commenced  a  race  up  the  wharf  as  if  the  avenger 
of  blood  was  upon  their  tracks  ! 

Stetson  steered  the  boat  directly  for  the  steps,  up  which 
he  hastily  ascended,  and  ordered  me  to  follow.  As  we 
rounded  the  corner  of  the  adjoining  store,  we  beheld  the 
fugitives  leaving  us  at  a  pace  which  no  sailor  could  expect 
to  equal.  The  man  who  had  particularly  excited  the  wrath 
of  the  mate  took  the  lead,  and  cut  a  conspicuous  figure 
with  his  single  coat-tail  sticking  out  behind  him  horizon- 
tally like  the  leg  of  a  loon ! 

The  mate,  seeing  the  hopelessness  of  further  pursuit,  sud- 
denly stopped,  and  contented  himself  with  shaking  his 
cudgel  at  the  runaways,  and  muttering  between  his  teeth, 
"  Run,  you  blackguards,  run  ! " 

And  run  they  did,  until  they  turned  down  India  Street, 
and  were  lost  to  sight. 

In  a  day  or  two  after  the  occurrence  above  described, 
the  ship  Packet  started  on  her  voyage  to  Liverpool.  She 
was  a  noble  ship,  well  found  and  furnished  in  every  respect, 
and,  setting  aside  the  uncertain  temper  and  eccentricities 
of  the  chief  mate,  well  officered  and  manned. 

When  we  passed  Boston  light  house  with  a  fresh  north- 
erly breeze,  one  clear  and  cold  morning  towards  the  close 
of  November,  in  the  year  1811,  bound  on  a  voyage  of 
several  years'  duration,  I  experienced  no  regret  at  leaving 
my  home  and  native  land,  and  had  no  misgiving  in  regard 
to  the  future.  My  spirits  rose  as  the  majestic  dome  of 
the  State  House  diminished  in  the  distance;  my  heart 


154  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

bounded  with  hope  as  we  entered  the  waters  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay.  I  felt  that  the  path  I  was  destined  to 
travel,  although  perhaps  a  rugged  one,  would  be  a  straight 
and  successful  one,  and  if  not  entirely  free  from  thorns, 
would  be  liberally  sprinkled  with  flowers. 

It  is  wisely  ordered  by  a  benignant  Providence  that 
man,  notwithstanding  his  eager  desire  to  know  the  secrets 
of  futurity,  can  never  penetrate  those  mysteries.  In  some 
cases,  could  he  know  the  changes  which  would  take  place 
in  his  condition,  the  misfortunes  he  would  experience,  the 
miseries  he  would  undergo,  in  the  lapse  of  only  a  few 
short  years,  or  perhaps  months,  he  would  shrink  like  a 
coward  from  the  conflict,  and  yield  himself  up  to  despair. 

I  could  not  long  indulge  in  vagaries  of  the  imagination. 
In  a  few  hours  the  wind  hauled  into  the  north-east,  and  a 
short  head  sea  rendered  the  ship  exceedingly  uneasy. 
While  busily  employed  in  various  duties  I  felt  an  uncom- 
fortable sensation  pervading  every  part  of  my  system. 
My  head  grew  dizzy  and  my  limbs  grew  weak ;  I  found,  to 
my  utter  confusion,  that  I  was  seasick!  I  had  hardly 
made  the  humiliating  discovery,  when  the  boatswain 
hoarsely  issued  the  unwelcome  order,  "Lay  aloft,  lads, 
and  send  down  the  royal  yards  and  masts!  " 

My  pride  would  not  allow  me  to  shrink  from  any  duty, 
and  especially  a  duty  like  this,  which  belonged  to  light 
hands.  And  while  I  heartily  wished  the  masts  and  yards, 
which  added  so  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  ship,  and  of 
which  I  was  so  proud  in  port,  fifty  fathoms  beneath  the 
keelson,  I  hastened  with  my  wonted  alacrity  aloft,  and 
commenced  the  work  of  sending  down  the  main-royal 
yard. 

Seasickness  is  an  unwelcome  malady  at  best.  It  not 
only  deprives  a  person  of  all  buoyancy  of  spirit,  but 
plunges  him  headlong  into  the  gulf  of  despondency.  His 
only  desire  is  to  remain  quiet ;  to  stir  neither  limb  nor 
muscle ;  to  lounge  or  lie  down  and  muse  on  his  unhappy 


SHIP  PACKET  OP  BOSTON.  155 

destiny.  If  he  is  urged  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  arouse  him- 
self from  this  stupor,  and  occupy  himself  with  labors  and 
cares  while  weighed  down  by  the  heavy  load,  his  con- 
dition, although  it  may  command  little  sympathy  from  his 
companions,  is  truly  pitiable. 

In  my  particular  case,  feeling  compelled  to  mount  aloft, 
and  attain  that  "bad  eminence,"  the  main-royal  mast 
head,  while  the  slender  spar  was  whipping  backwards  and 
forwards  with  every  plunge  of  the  ship  into  a  heavy  head 
sea,  and  the  visible  effect  produced  by  every  vibration 
causing  me  to  fear  an  inverted  position  of  my  whole  in- 
ternal system,  no  one  can  imagine  the  extent  of  my  suffer- 
ings. They  were  of  a  nature  that  Dante  would  eagerly 
have  pounced  upon  to  add  to  the  horrors  of  his  Inferno. 
I  felt  at  times  willing  to  quit  my  feeble  hold  of  a  back- 
stay or  shroud,  and  seek  repose  by  diving  into  the  briny 
billows  beneath.  If  I  had  paused  for  a  moment  in  my 
work  I  should,  undoubtedly,  have  failed  in  its  accomplish- 
ment. But  Stetson's  eye  was  upon  me ;  his  voice  was  heard 
at  times  calling  out  —  "  Main-royal  mast  head,  there  !  Bear 
a  hand,  and  send  down  that  mast !  Why  don't  you  bear  a 
hand ! " 

To  this  reminder,  making  a  desperate  exertion,  I  prompt- 
ly replied,  in  a  spirited  tone,  "  Ay,  ay,  sir  !  " 

Diligence  was  the  watchword,  and  it  acted  as  my  pre- 
server. 

It  often  happens  that  a  crew,  composed  wholly  or  in 
part  of  old  sailors,  will  make  an  experiment  on  the  temper 
and  character  of  the  officers  at  the  commencement  of  the 
voyage.  When  this  is  the  case,  the  first  night  after  leav- 
ing port  will  decide  the  question  whether  the  officers  or 
the  men  will  have  command  of  the  ship.  If  the  officers 
are  not  firm  and  peremptory ;  if  they  ai'e  deficient  in 
nerve,  and  fail  to  rebuke,  in  a  prompt  and  decided  manner, 
aught  bordering  on  insolence  or  insubordination  in  the 
outset,  farewell  to  discipline,  to  good  order  and  harmony, 
for  the  remainder  of  the  passage. 


156  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Captain  Bacon  was  a  man  of  slight  figure,  gentlemanly 
exterior,  and  pleasant  countenance.  Although  his  appear- 
ance commanded  respect,  it  was  not  calculated  to  inspire 
awe  ;  and  few  would  have  supposed  that  beneath  his  quiet 
physiognomy  and  benevolent  cast  of  features  were  con- 
cealed a  fund  of  energy  and  determination  of  chai'acter 
which  could  carry  him  safely  through  difficulty  and  danger. 

Mr.  Bachelder,  the  second  mate,  was  a  young  man  of 
intelligence,  familiar  with  his  duties,  and  blessed  with  kind 
and  generous  feelings.  Unlike  Stetson,  he  was  neither  a 
blackguard  nor  a  bully.  After  some  little  consultation 
among  the  old  sailors  who  composed  the  starboard  watch, 
it  was  thought  advisable  to  begin  with  him,  and  ascertain 
if  there  was  any  grit  in  his  composition. 

It  was  about  six  bells  —  eleven  o'clock  at  night  —  when 
the  wind  hauling  to  the  north-west,  Mr.  Bachelder  called 
out,  "  Forward  there  !  lay  aft  and  take  a  pull  of  the  weather 
braces." 

One  of  the  men,  a  smart  active  fellow,  who  went  by  the 
name  of  Jack  Robinson,  and  had  been  an  unsuccessful 
candidate  for  the  office  of  boatswain,  replied  in  a  loud  and 
distinct  tone,  "  Ay,  ay ! " 

This  was  agreed  on  as  the  test.  I  knew  the  crisis  had 
come,  and  awaited  with  painful  anxiety  the  result. 

Mr.  Bachelder  rushed  forward  into  the  midst  of  the 
group  near  the  end  of  the  windlass. 

"  Who  said,  *  Ay,  ay '  ?  "  he  inquired,  in  an  angry  tone. 

"  I  did,"  replied  Robinson. 

"  You  did !  Don't  you  know  how  to  reply  to  an  officer 
in  a  proper  manner?" 

"  How  should  I  reply  ?  "  said  Robinson,  doggedly. 

"  Say  '  Ay,  ay,  sir?  when  you  reply  to  me,  cried 
Bachelder,  in  a  tone  of  thunder — at  the  same  time  seizing 
him  by  the  collar  and  giving  him  a  shake  —  "  and,"  con- 
tinued he,  "  don't  undertake  to  cut  any  of  your  shines 
here,  my  lad  !  If  you  do,  you  will  be  glad  to  die  the  death 


SHIP  PACKET  OF  BOSTON.  157 

of  .a  miserable  dog.  Lay  aft  men,  and  round  in  the  weath- 
er braces ! " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!  Ay,  ay,  sir!"  was  the  respectful  re- 
sponse from  every  side. 

The  yards  were  trimmed  to  the  breeze,  and  when  the 
watch  gathered  again  on  the  forecastle  it  was  unanimously 
voted  that  it  would  not  do  ! 

Notwithstanding  the  decided  result  of  the  experiment 
with  the  second  mate,  one  of  the  men  belonging  to  the 
larboard  watch,  named  Allen,  determined  to  try  conclu- 
sions with  the  captain  and  chief  mate,  and  ascertain  how 
far  they  would  allow  the  strict  rules  of  discipline  on  ship- 
board to  be  infringed.  Allen  was  a  powerful  fellow,  of 
huge  proportions,  and  tolerably  good  features,  which,  how- 
ever, were  overshadowed  by  a  truculent  expression.  Al- 
though of  a  daring  disposition,  and  unused  to  subordina- 
tion, having  served  for  several  years  in  ships  engaged  in 
the  African  slave  trade,  the  nursery  of  pirates  and  desper- 
adoes, he  showed  but  little  wisdom  in  trying  the  patience 
of  Stetson. 

On  the  second  night  after  leaving  port,  the  ship  being 
under  double-reefed  topsails,  the  watch  was  summoned  aft 
to  execute  some  duty.  The  captain  was  on  deck,  and 
casually  remarked  to  the  mate,  "It  blows  hard,  Mr. 
Stetson  ;  we  may  have  a  regular  gale  before  morning ! " 

Allen  at  that  moment  was  passing  along  to  windward 
of  the  captain  and  mate.  He  stopped,  and  before  Stetson 
could  reply,  said  in  a  tone  of  insolent  familiarity,  "  Yes, 
it  blows  hard,  and  will  blow  harder  yet!  Well,  who 
cares  ?  Let  it  blow  and  be !  " 

Captain  Bacon  seemed  utterly  astonished  at  the  impu- 
dence of  the  man;  but  Stetson,  who  was  equally  prompt 
and  energetic  on  all  occasions,  and  who  divined  the  object 
that  Allen  had  in  view,  in  lieu  of  a  civil  rejoinder  dealt 
him  a  blow  on  the  left  temple,  which  sent  him  with  vio- 
lence against  the  bulwarks.  Allen  recovered  himself,  how- 

14 


158  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

ever,  and  sprang  on  the  mate  like  a  tiger,  clasped  him  in 
his  sinewy  embrace,  and  called  upon  his  watchmates  for 
assistance. 

As  Stetson  and  Allen  were  both  powerful  men  it  is  un- 
certain what  would  have  been  the  result  had  Stetson 
fought  the  battle  single-handed.  The  men  looked  on, 
waiting  the  result,  but  without  daring  to  interfere.  Not 
so  the  captain.  When  he  saw  Allen  attack  the  mate,  he 
seized  a  belaying  pin,  that  was  loose  in  the  fife-rail,  and 
watching  his  opportunity,  gave  the  refractory  sailor  two 
or  three  smart  raps  over  the  head  and  face,  which  em- 
barrassed him  amazingly,  caused  him  to  release  his  grasp 
on  the  mate,  and  felled  him  to  the  deck ! 

The  mate  then  took  a  stout  rope's  end  and  threshed  him 
until  he  roared  for  mercy.  The  fellow  was  terribly  pun- 
ished, and  staggered  forward,  followed  by  a  volley  of  threats 
and  anathemas. 

But  the  matter  did  not  end  here.  At  twelve  o'clock 
Allen  went  below,  and  was  loud  in  his  complaints  of  the 
barbarous  manner  in  which  he  had  been  treated.  He 
swore  revenge,  and  said  he  would  lay  a  plan  to  get  the 
mate  into  the  forecastle,  and  then  square  all  accounts. 
Robinson  and  another  of  the  starboard  watch,  having  no 
idea  that  Stetson  could  be  enticed  below,  approved  of  the 
suggestion,  and  intimated  that  they  would  lend  him  a 
hand  if  necessary.  They  did  not  know  Stetson  ! 

When  the  watch  was  called  at  four  o'clock  Allen  did 
not  make  his  appearance.  In  about  half  an  hour  the  voice 
of  Stetson  was  heard  at  the  forescuttle  ordering  him  on 
deck. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Allen,  "  I  am  coming  directly." 

"You  had  better  do  so,"  said  the  mate,  "if  you  know 
when  you  are  well  off.'* 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ! " 

Allen  was  sitting  on  a  chest,  dressed,  but  did  not  move.  I 
was  lying  in  my  berth  attentive  to  these  proceedings,  as,  I 


SHIP  PACKET  OF  BOSTON.  159 

believe  were  all  my  watchmates.  In  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  Stetson  took  another  look  down  the  scuttle,  and 
bellowed  out,  "  Allen,  are  you  coming  on  deck  or  not  ?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ;  directly  ! " 

"  If  I  have  to  go  down  after  you,  my  good  fellow,  it  will 
be  worse  for  you,  that's  all." 

Allen  remained  sitting  on  the  chest.  Day  began  to 
break.  Stetson  was  again  heard  at  the  entrance  of  the 
forecastle.  His  patience,  of  which  he  had  not  a  large  stock, 
was  exhausted. 

"  Come  on  deck,  this  instant,  you  lazy,  lounging,  big- 
shouldered  renegade !  Will  you  let  other  people  do  your 
work  ?  Show  your  broken  head  and  your  lovely  battered 
features  on  deck  at  once  —  in  the  twinkling  of  a  hand- 
spike. I  want  to  see  how  you  look  after  your  frolic  !  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !     I'm  coming  right  up." 

"  You  lie,  you  rascal.  You  don't  mean  to  come.  But 
Til  soon  settle  the  question  whether  you  are  to  have  your 
way  in  this  ship  or  I  am  to  have  mine  !  " 

Saying  this,  Stetson  descended  the  steps  which  led  into 
the  habitation  of  the  sailors.  In  doing  this,  under  the 
peculiar  circumstances,  he  gave  a  striking  proof  of  his 
fearless  character.  He  had  reason  to  anticipate  a  des- 
perate resistance  from  Allen,  while  some  of  the  sailors 
might  also  be  ready  to  take  part  with  their  shipmate,  if 
they  saw  him  overmatched ;  and  in  that  dark  and  close 
apartment,  where  no  features  could  be  clearly  distin- 
guished, he  would  be  likely  to  receive  exceedingly  rough 
treatment. 

Stetson,  however,  was  a  man  who  seldom  calculated 
consequences  in  cases  of  this  kind.  He  may  have  been 
armed,  but  he  made  no  display  of  other  weapons  than  his 
brawny  fist.  He  seized  Allen  by  the  collar  with  a  vig- 
orous grasp.  "You  scoundrel,"  said  he,  "what  do  you 
mean  by  this  conduct?  Go  on  deck  and  attend  to  your 
duty !  On  deck,  I  say !  Up  with  you,  at  once ! " 


1GO  JACK   IS  THE   FORECASTLE. 

Allen  at  first  held  back,  hoping  that  some  of  his  ship- 
mates would  come  to  his  aid,  as  they  partly  promised ; 
but  not  a  man  stirred,  greatly  to  his  disappointment  and 
disgust.  They,  doubtless,  felt  it  might  be  unsafe  to  en- 
gage in  the  quarrels  of  others  ;  and  Allen,  after  receiving 
a  few  gentle  reminders  from  the  mate  in  the  shape  of 
clips  on  the  side  of  his  head  and  punches  among  the  short 
ribs,  preceded  the  mate  on  deck.  He  was  conquered. 

The  weather  was  cold  and  cheerless ;  the  wind  was 
blowing  heavy ;  the  rain  was  falling  fast ;  and  Allen,  who 
had  few  clothes,  was  thinly  clad ;  but  he  was  sent  aloft 
in  an  exposed  situation,  and  kept  there  through  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  His  battered  head,  his  cut  face, 
his  swollen  features,  and  his  gory  locks  told  the  tale  of 
his  punishment.  Stetson  had  no  magnanimity  in  his 
composition.  He  cherished  a  grudge  against  that  man 
to  the  end  of  the  passage,  and  lost  no  opportunity  to 
indulge  his  hatred  and  vindictiveness. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Allen,  one  day,  when  sent  on  some 
useless  mission  in  the  vicinity  of  the  knight-heads,  while 
the  ship  was  plunging  violently,  and  sending  cataracts 
of  salt  water  over  the  bowsprit  at  every  dive ;  "  never 
mind,  it  will  be  only  for  a  single  passage." 

"  I  know  that,"  said  Stetson,  with  an  oath  ;  "  and  I  will 
take  good  care  to  '  work  you  up '  well  during  the  pas- 
sage." And  he  was  as  good  as  his  word. 

The  mate  of  a  ship,  especially  when  the  captain  is 
inactive,  is  not  properly  acquainted  with  his  duties,  or  is 
disposed  to  let  him  pursue  his  own  course,  is  vested  with 
great  authority.  He  has  it  in  his  power  to  contribute  to 
the  comfort  of  the  men,  and  establish  that  good  under- 
standing between  the  cabin  and  the  forecastle  which 
should  ever  reign  in  a  merchant  ship.  But  it  sometimes, 
unfortunately,  happens  that  the  officers  of  a  ship  are  men 
of  amazingly  little  souls ;  deficient  in  manliness  of  char- 
acter, illiberal  in  their  sentiments,  and  jealous  of  their 


SHIP    PACKET    OF    BOSTON.  161 

authority ;  and  although  but  little  deserving  the  respect 
of  good  men,  are  rigorous  in  exacting  it.  Such  men  are 
easily  offended,  take  umbrage  at  trifles,  and  are  unfor- 
giving in  their  resentments.  While  they  have  power  to 
annoy  or  punish  an  individual  from  whom  they  have 
received  real  or  fancied  injuries,  they  do  not  hesitate  to 
exercise  it. 

Every  seafaring  man,  of  large  experience,  has  often  wit- 
nessed the  unpleasant  consequences  of  these  old  grudges, 
—  of  this  system  of  punishing  a  ship's  company,  by  petty 
annoyances  and  unceasing  hard  work,  for  some  trifling 
misconduct  on  the  part  of  one  or  more  of  the  crew  during 
the  early  part  of  the  voyage.  A  master  of  a  ship  must  be 
aware  that  the  interest  of  all  parties  will  be  promoted  by 
harmony  on  shipboard,  which  encourages  the  sailors  to 
perform  faithfully  their  manifold  duties.  Therefore,  a 
good  shipmaster  will  not  only  be  firm,  and  decided,  and 
just,  and  gentlemanly  himself  towards  his  crew,  but  he 
will  promptly  interfere  to  prevent  unjust  and  tyrannical 
conduct  on  the  part  of  his  officers,  when  they  are  inex- 
perienced or  of  a  vindictive  disposition. 

When  a  man  is  insolent  or  insubordinate,  the  punish- 
ment or  rebuke,  if  any  is  intended,  should  be  promptly 
administered.  The  account  against  him  should  not  be 
entered  on  the  books,  but  balanced  on  the  spot.  What- 
ever is  his  due  should  be  paid  off  to  the  last  stiver,  and 
there  the  matter  should  end,  never  to  be  again  agitated, 
or  even  referred  to.  This  system  of  petty  tyranny,  —  this 
"  working  up "  of  a  whole  ship's  company,  or  a  single 
individual,  in  order  to  gratify  a  vindictive  and  unforgiving 
spirit,  —  has  been  the  cause  of  a  deal  of  trouble  and  un- 
happiness,  and  has  furnished  materials  in  abundance  for 
"  men  learned  in  the  law." 

Sailors  are  not  stocks  and  stones.  Few  of  them  are  so 
low  and  degraded  as  not  to  be  able  to  distinguish  the 
right  from  the  wrong.  They  are  aware  of  the  importance 

14* 


162  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

of  discipline,  and  know  they  must  submit  to  its  restraints, 
and  render  prompt  obedience  to  orders  from  their  supe- 
riors, without  question ;  yet  few  of  them  are  so  deeply 
imbued  with  the  meek  spirit  of  Christianity  as  to  forego 
remonstrance  to  injustice  or  resistance  to  tyranny. 

The  Packet  proved  to  be  a  fast-sailing  ship.  The  log 
often  indicated  ten,  eleven,  and  eleven  and  a  half  knots. 
We  had  a  quick  but  rough  passage  across  the  Atlantic, 
and  frequently  took  on  board  a  much  larger^  quantity  of 
salt  water  than  was  agreeable  to  those  who  had  berths  in 
her  bows.  In  four  days  after  leaving  Boston  we  reached 
the  Banks  of  Newfoundland ;  in  eighteen  days,  we  struck 
soundings  off  Cape  Clear  ;  and  in  twenty-one  days,  let 
go  our  anchor  in  the  River  Mersey. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

DISAPPOINTED    HOPES. 

THE  day  succeeding  our  arrival  at  Liverpool,  having 
disposed  of  our  gunpowder,  we  hauled  into  King's  Dock, 
and  commenced  preparations  for  receiving  the  remainder 
of  our  cargo.  At  that  period  there  were  only  four  float- 
ing docks  in  Liverpool.  The  town  was  not  in  a  pros- 
perous condition.  It  had  not  recovered  from  the  shock 
caused  by  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade.  That  inhuman 
traffic  had  been  carried  on  to  a  very  great  extent  for 
many  years  by  Liverpool  merchants,  and,  of  course,  the 
law  prohibiting  the  traffic  —  a  law  wise  and  humane  in 
itself,  but  injurious  to  the  interests  of  individuals  —  was 
resisted  in  Parliament  by  all  the  commercial  wealth  of 
Liverpool  and  Bristol,  the  two  principal  ports  in  which 
the  merchants  resided  who  were  engaged  in  the  slave 


DISAPPOINTED    HOPES.  163 

traffic.  Even  in  1811,  many  fine  ships  were  lying  idle  in 
the  docks,  which  had  been  built  expressly  for  that  busi- 
ness ;  and  their  grated  air-ports,  high  and  solid  bulwarks, 
peculiar  hatchways,  large  and  unsightly  poops,  all  gave 
evidence  of  the  expensive  arrangements  and  great  im- 
portance of  the  "  Guineamen  "  of  those  days. 

It  was  expected  that  our  cargo  would  be  completed 
immediately  after  our  arrival  at  Liverpool,  and  the  ship 
despatched  on  her  way  around  Cape  Horn  ;  but  the 
tobacco  which  we  had  taken  on  board  in  Boston,  being 
an  article  on  which  an  enormous  duty  was  exacted,  was 
the  cause  of  trouble  and  delay.  Consultations  with  the 
authorities  in  London  were  necessary,  and  weeks  elapsed 
before  Captain  Bacon  could  get  the  ship  out  of  the 
clutches  of  the  revenue  department.  In  the  mean  time 
the  crew  remained  by  the  ship,  but  took  their  meals  at  a 
boarding  house  on  shore,  as  was  the  custom  in  Liverpool. 
They  were  all  furnished  with  American  protections ;  but 
some  of  them,  unwilling  to  rely  on  the  protecting  power 
of  a  paper  document,  which  in  their  cases  told  a  tale  of 
fiction,  adopted  various  expedients  to  avoid  the  press- 
gangs  which  occasionally  thridded  the  streets,  and  even 
entered  dwellings  when  the  doors  were  unfastened,  to 
capture  sailors  and  compel  them  to  volunteer  to  serve 
their  king  and  country. 

One  of  these  unfortunate  men,  after  having  success- 
fully dodged  the  pressgangs  for  a  fortnight,  and  living 
meanwhile  in  an  unenviable  state  of  anxiety,  was  pounced 
upon  by  some  disguised  members  of  a  pressgang  as  he 
left  the  boarding  house  one  evening.  He  struggled  hard 
to  escape,  but  was  knocked  down  and  dragged  off  to  the 
naval  rendezvous.  He  was  examined  the  next  morning 
before  the  American  consul,  but,  notwithstanding  his  pro- 
tection, his  citizenship  could  not  be  substantiated.  He 
was  in  reality  a  Prussian,  and  of  course  detained  as  a 
lawful  prize.  The  poor  fellow  lamented  his  hard  destiny 


164  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

with  tears.  He  knew  the  degrading  and  unhappy  char- 
acter of  the  slavery  to  which  he  was  doomed  probably 
for  life,  and  strongly  implored  Captain  Bacon  to  leave  no 
means  untried  to  procure  his  release ;  but  the  captain's 
efforts  were  in  vain. 

I  was  rejoiced  when  intelligence  came  that  the  trouble 
about  the  tobacco  was  at  an  end,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  cargo  could  be  taken  on  board.  On  the  following 
forenoon  the  ship  was  hauled  stern  on  to  the  quay,  and 
the  heavy  bales  of  goods,  when  brought  down,  were  tum- 
bled on  deck  by  the  crew  and  rolled  along  to  the  main 
hatchway.  I  was  employed  with  one  of  my  shipmates 
in  this  work,  when  some  clumsy  fellows  who  were  han- 
dling another  bale  behind  me  pitched  it  over  in  such 
a  careless  manner  that  it  struck  my  left  leg,  which  it 
doubled  up  like  a  rattan.  I  felt  that  my  leg  was  frac- 
tured, —  indeed,  I  heard  the  bone  snap,  —  and  threw 
myself  on  a  gun  carriage,  making  wry  faces  in  conse- 
quence of  the  pain  I  suffered. 

"Are  you  much  hurt,  Hawser?"  inquired  the  chief 
mate,  in  a  tone  of  irony,  and  with  a  grim  smile. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  badly  hurt.     I'm  afraid  my  leg  is  broken." 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  I  hope,"  exclaimed  Stetson,  with 
some  display  of  anxiety.  "I  guess  you  are  more  fright- 
ened than  hurt.  Let  me  look  at  your  leg." 

He  found  my  surmises  were  correct,  and  expressed 
more  sympathy  for  my  misfortune  than  I  could  have 
expected.  I  was  carried  into  the  cabin,  and  after  a  short 
delay  conveyed  in  a  carriage  to  the  Infirmary  or  hospital. 
When  the  carriage  reached  the  gateway  of  the  Infirmary, 
the  bell  was  rung  by  the  coachman,  and  the  porter  made 
his  appearance.  He  was  a  tall,  hard-featured,  sulky- 
looking  man,  about  fifty  years  of  age,  called  Thomas; 
and  having  held  that  office  a  number  of  years,  he  assumed 
as  many  airs,  and  pretended  to  as  much  surgical  skill,  aa 
the  professors. 


DISAPPOINTED    HOPES.  165 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ? "  inquired  the  porter,  with 
a  discontented  growl. 

"An  accident,"  replied  the  coachman.  "This  boy  has 
broken  his  leg.  He  is  a  sailor,  belonging  to  an  American 
ship." 

"  Ah,  ha !  an  American,  is  he  ?  "  added  Thomas,  with 
a  diabolical  sneer.  "A  Yankee  Doodle!  Never  mind; 
we'll  take  care  of  him." 

I  was  lifted  from  the  carriage  and  carried  by  the  ship's 
armorer,  very  gently,  into  one  of  the  rooms,  the  grim- 
looking  porter  leading  the  way.  I  was  placed  in  an  arm 
chair,  and,  as  the  surgeon  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to 
accidents  on  that  day  was  not  immediately  forthcoming, 
the  porter  undertook  to  examine  the  fracture.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  take  off  the  stocking,  which  fitted  rather 
closely,  and  the  removal  of  which  gave  me  intolerable 
pain.  I  begged  him  to  rip  off  the  garment  with  a  knife, 
and  put  an  end  to  my  torments.  The  armorer  also  re- 
monstrated against  his  unnecessary  cruelty,  but  in  vain. 
The  only  reply  of  the  grumbling  rascal  was  that  the 
stocking  was  too  good  to  be  destroyed,  and  he  never 
knew  a  Yankee  who  could  bear  pain  like  a  man !  He 
then  began,  in  a  cool  and  business-like  manner,  to  twist 
my  foot  about,  grinding  the  fractured  bones  together  to 
ascertain,  as  he  said,  whether  the  limb  was  actually 
broken !  and  I  verily  believe  that  my  complaints  and 
groans,  which  I  did  not  attempt  to  suppress,  were  sweet 
music  in  his  ears.  It  was  clear  to  me  that,  for  some 
reason  which  I  could  never  learn,  Mr.  Thomas  owed  the 
whole  Yankee  nation  a  grudge,  and  was  ready  to  pay  it 
off  on  an  individual  whenever  he  could  get  a  chance. 

After  he  had  finished  his  examination,  I  looked  around 
the  room,  which  was  not  a  large  one.  It  was  number  one 
of  the  "  accident  ward."  It  contained  six  beds,  besides  a 
pallet  in  a  corner  for  the  nurse  of  the  ward.  These  beds, 
with  two  exceptions,  were  occupied  by  unfortunate  beings' 


166  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

like  myself.  As  I  was  brought  in  among  them  they 
gazed  upon  me  earnestly,  prompted,  I  verily  believe,  not 
only  by  curiosity,  but  commiseration  for  my  unhappy 
condition.  The  surgeon  made  his  appearance,  and  suc- 
ceeded, without  much  difficulty,  in  setting  the  limb, — 
an  operation  which,  acknowledging  its  necessity,  I  bore 
with  becoming  fortitude.  I  was  placed  on  my  back  in 
one  of  the  unoccupied  beds,  with  the  rather  unnecessary 
caution  to  lie  perfectly  still.  The  armorer  returned  to 
the  ship,  and  I  was  left  among  strangers. 

I  now  had  leisure  to  reflect  on  my  situation.  My  hopes 
of  visiting  the  "north-west  coast"  were  suddenly  de- 
stroyed. A  cripple,  in  a  strange  land,  without  money  or 
friends,  a  cloud  seemed  to  rest  on  my  prospects.  During 
the  remainder'of  the  day  and  the  succeeding  night  I  suf- 
fered much  from  "the  blues."  My  spirits  were  out  of 
tune.  The  scanty  hospital  fare  that  was  offered  me  I  sent 
away  untouched,  and  sleep  refused  to  bury  my  senses  in 
forgetfulness  until  long  after  the  midnight  hour.  This, 
however,  might  have  been  partly  owing  to  the  involuntary 
groans  and  murmurs  of  unfortunate  sufferers  in  my  imme- 
diate vicinity.  That  first  day  and  night  wore  a  sombre 
aspect,  and  teemed  with  gloomy  forebodings. 

In  the  morning  I  fell  into  a  kind  of  doze,  and  dreamed 
that  I  was  walking  in  a  beautiful  meadow,  which  was 
traversed  by  a  wide  and  deep  ditch.  Wishing  to  pass  to 
the  other  side  I  attempted  to  leap  the  ditch,  but  jumped 
short,  and  buried  myself  in  mud  and  mire  to  the  waist !  I 
awoke  with  a  start,  which  I  accompanied  with  a  cry  of 
distress.  I  had  moved  the  broken  limb,  and  furnished 
more  work  for  the  surgeon  and  suffering  for  myself. 

My  gloomy  reflections  and  disquietude  of  mind  did  not 
last  long.  In  the  morning  my  attention  was  attracted  by 
the  novelties  of  my  situation,  and  I  found  much  to  excite 
my  curiosity  and  interest  my  feelings.  My  "  fit  of  the 
blues"  had  passed  off  to  return  no  more.  I  had  some 


DISAPPOINTED    HOPES.  167 

conversation  with  a  remarkably  tall,  military-looking  man, 
who  moved  about  awkwardly  as  if  he  was  learning  to  walk 
upon  stilts,  or  was  lame  in  both  legs,  which  I  afterwards 
found  to  be  the  case.  He  appeared  friendly  and  intelligent, 
and  gave  me  interesting  information  in  relation  to  the  in- 
mates and  economy  of  the  establishment. 

I  learned  from  him  that  the  bed  nearest  mine,  within  a 
few  feet  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  one  beyond  it,  were 
occupied  by  two  boys  who  were  victims  of  a  sad  misfor- 
tune. Their  intense  sufferings  were  the  cause  of  the  moans 
and  murmurings  I  had  heard  during  the  night.  These 
boys  were  apprentices  to  the  rope-making  business,  and  a 
few  days  before,  while  spinning  ropeyarns,  with  the  loose 
hemp  wound  in  folds  around  their  waists,  the  youngest,  a 
lad  about  fourteen  years  old,  unwittingly  approached  an 
open  fire,  the  weather  being  cold.  A  spark  ignited  the 
hemp,  and  in  a  moment  the  whole  was  in  a  blaze.  The 
other  boy,  obeying  an  involuntary  but  generous  impulse, 
rushed  to  the  assistance  of  his  companion,  only  to  share 
his  misfortune.  They  were  both  terribly  burned,  and  con- 
veyed to  the  hospital. 

Every  morning  the  rations  for  the  day  were  served  out 
to  the  patients.  The  quality  of  the  food,  always  excepting 
a  dark-looking  liquid  of  revolting  aspect,  known  as  "  beer 
porridge,"  and  which  I  ate  only  through  fear  of  starvation, 
was  generally  good,  and  the  quantity  was  sufficient  to  keep 
the  patients  alive,  while  they  had  no  reason  to  apprehend 
ill  consequences  from  a  surfeit. 

In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  Captain  Bacon  came  to 
see  me.  He  expressed  regret  at  my  misfortune,  and  tried 
to  console  me  with  the  assurance  that  I  should  be  well 
cared  for.  He  said  the  ship  Packet  would  sail  the  next 
day,  that  my  chest  and  bedding  should  be  sent  to 
the  house  where  the  crew  had  boarded,  that  he  had 
commended  me  to  the  particular  consideration  of  the 
American  consul,  who  was  his  consignee,  and  would  see 


168  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

that  I  was  sent  back  to  the  United  States  as  soon  as  I 
should  be  in  a  condition  to  leave  the  hospital.  He  put  a 
silver  dollar  into  my  hand,  as  he  said  to  buy  some  fruit, 
bade  me  be  of  good  cheer,  and  left  me  to  my  reflections. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  one  of  my  shipmates, 
a  kind-hearted  lad,  about  my  own  age,  called  at  the  hospi- 
tal to  bid  me  farewell.  He  regretted  the  necessity  of  our 
separation,  and  wept  over  the  misfortune  that  had  occa- 
sioned it.  From  him  I  learned  that  the  key  of  my  chest 
having  been  left  in  the  lock  when  I  was  carried  from  the 
ship,  he  feared  that  Allen  and  one  or  two  others  of  the 
crew,  who  were  not  liberally  supplied  with  clothing  for  a 
long  voyage,  had  made  free  with  my  property.  He  also 
told  me  that  three  of  the  ship's  company  had  deserted, 
having  no  confidence  in  the  amiable  qualities  of  Mr.  Stet- 
son, the  chief  mate ;  but  that  Allen,  who  had  been  the 
victim  of  his  vindictiveness  during  the  whole  passage 
from  Boston,  dreading  the  horrors  of  impressment  more 
than  the  barbarity  of  the  mate,  and  having  a  good  Ameri- 
can protection,  had  determined  to  remain  by  the  ship ! 

He  told  me,  further,  he  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with 
the  character  of  Stetson,  and  feared  that  when  again  on 
the  ocean  he  would  prove  a  Tartar ;  and  that  I  had  no 
great  reason  to  regret  an  accident  which  would  prevent  my 
proceeding  on  the  voyage. 

I  subsequently  learned  that  Stetson  showed  his  true 
colors  after  the  ship  left  Liverpool,  and  owing  to  his  evil 
deportment  and  tyrannical  conduct,  there  was  little  peace 
or  comfort  for  the  crew  during  the  three  years'  voyage. 

On  the  third  day  of  my  residence  in  the  Infirmary,  the 
unfortunate  boy  who  occupied  the  bed  nearest  mine  ap- 
peared to  be  sinking  rapidly.  It  was  sad  to  witness  his 
sufferings.  His  mother,  a  woman  in  the  lowest  rank  of 
life,  was  with  him  through  the  day.  She  eagerly  watched 
every  symptom  of  his  illness,  nursed  him  with  care  and 
tenderness,  sought  to  prepare  him  for  the  great  change 


DISAPPOINTED    HOPES.  169 

which  was  about  to  take  place ;  and,  a  true  woman  and  a 
mother,  endeavored  to  hide  her  own  anguish  while  she 
ministered  to  the  bodily  and  spiritual  wants  of  her  only 
child,  who  nobly  risked  his  life  to  save  that  of  his  com- 
panion. I  watched  the  proceedings  with  deep  interest 
through  the  day,  and  when  night  came  I  felt  no  inclina- 
tion to  sleep.  The  groans  of  the  unfortunate  boy  became 
fainter  and  fainter,  and  it  was  evident  he  would  soon  be 
released  from  his  sufferings  by  the  hand  of  death. 

At  length  I  became  weary  with  watching,  and  about 
eleven  o'clock  fell  asleep,  in  spite  of  the  dying  moans  of 
the  boy  and  the  half-stifled  sobs  of  his  mother.  I  slept 
soundly,  undisturbed  by  the  mournful  scenes  which  were 
enacted  around  me.  When  I  awoke  the  room  was  lighted 
only  by  the  rays  of  an  expiring  lamp  in  the  chimney  cor- 
ner. No  one  was  moving ;  not  a  sound  was  heard  except 
the  loud  breathing  of  the  inmates,  who,  their  wonted  rest 
having  been  interrupted  by  this  melancholy  interlude, 
had  buried  their  pains  and  anxieties  in  sleep. 

I  looked  towards  the  bed  where  the  sufferer  lay  whose 
sad  fate  had  so  attracted  my  attention  and  elicited  my 
sympathies  a  few  hours  before.  His  mother  was  no  longer 
present.  His  moans  were  no  longer  heard.  His  form 
seemed  extended  motionless  on  the  bed,  and  his  head 
reposed  as  usual  on  the  pillow.  But  I  was  startled  at  per- 
ceiving him  staring  fixedly  at  me  with  eyes  preternatm-ally 
large,  and  of  a  cold,  glassy,  ghastly  appearance  !  I  closed 
my  own  eyes  and  turned  my  head  away,  while  a  tremor 
shook  every  nerve.  Was  this  an  illusion  ?  Was  I  labor- 
ing under  the  effects  of  a  dream  ?  Or  had  my  imagination 
conjured  up  a  spectre  ? 

I  looked  again.  The  eyes,  like  two  full  moons,  were 
still  there,  glaring  at  me  with  that  cold,  fixed,  maddening 
expression.  I  could  no  longer  control  my  feelings.  If  I 
had  been  able  to  use  my  limbs  I  should  have  fled  from  the 
room.  As  that  was  impossible  I  called  loudly  to  the 

15 


170  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

nurse,  and  awoke  her  from  a  sound  sleep !  She  came 
muttering  to  my  bedside,  and  inquired  what  was  the  mat- 
ter? 

"  Look  at  William's  eyes ! "  said  I.  "  Is  he  dead,  or 
is  he  alive?  What  is  the  meaning  of  those  horrible- 
looking,  unearthly  eyes  ?  Why  dorft  you  speak  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,"  replied  the  nurse,  sharply,  "  and  let 
shadows  frighten  you  out  of  your  wits." 

While  I  remained  in  an  agony  of  suspense  she  leisurely 
returned  to  the  fireplace,  took  the  lamp  from  the  hearth, 
raised  the  wick  to  increase  the  light,  and  approaching  the 
bedside,  held  it  over  the  body  of  the  occupant.  The  boy 
was  dead !  Two  large  pieces  of  bright  copper  coin  had 
been  placed  over  the  eyes  for  the  purpose  of  closing  the 
lids  after  death,  and  the  faint  and  flickering  reflection  of 
the  lamplight,  aided,  probably,  by  the  excited  condition  of 
my  nervous  system,  had  given  them  that  wild  and  ghastly 
appearance  which  had  shaken  my  soul  with  terror. 

For  three  weeks  I  lay  in  my  bed,  an  attentive  observer 
of  the  singular  scenes  that  occurred  in  my  apartment.  I 
was  visited  every  morning  by  a  student  in  surgery,  or 
"  dresser,"  and  twice  a  week  by  one  of  the  regular  sur- 
geons of  the  establishment  while  going  his  rounds.  My 
general  health  was  good,  notwithstanding  a  want  of  that 
exercise  and  fresh  air  to  which  I  had  been  accustomed.  My 
appetite  was  remarkable  ;  indeed,  my  greatest,  if  not  only, 
cause  of  complaint,  was  the  very  stinted  quantity  of  daily 
food  that  was  served  out  to  each  individual.  No  discrim- 
ination was  observed ;  the  robust  young  man,  with  an  iron 
constitution,  was,  so  far  as  related  to  food,  placed  on  a  par 
with  the  poor  invalid,  debilitated  with  protracted  suffer- 
ing or  dying  of  inappetency. 

In  every  other  situation  in  which  I  have  been  placed  I 
have  had  abundance  of  food.  Sometimes  the  food  was  of 
a  quality  deplorably  wretched,  it  is  true,  but  such  as  it 
was  there  was  always  enough.  But  in  the  Liverpool  In- 


SCENES   IN  A   HOSPITAL.  171 

firmnry  I  experienced  the  miseries  of  short  allowance,  and 
had  an  opportunity  to  witness  the  effect  it  produces  in 
ruffling  the  temper  and  breeding  discontent.  It  also 
opened  my  eyes  to  the  instinctive  selfishness  of  man. 
Those  who  were  in  sound  health,  with  good  appetites,  al- 
though apparently  endued  with  a  full  share  of  affections 
and  sympathies,  seemed  actually  to  rejoice  when  one  of 
their  companions,  through  suffering  and  debility,  was  una- 
ble to  consume  his  allowance  of  bread  or  porridge,  which 
would  be  distributed  among  the  more  healthy  inmates  of 
the  apartment. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

SCENES     IN      A      HOSPITAL. 

AT  the  expiration  of  three  weeks  the  dresser  informed 
me  he  was  about  to  case  my  fractured  limb  in  splints  and 
bandages,  when  I  might  quit  my  mattress,  don  my  gar- 
ments, and  hop  about  the  room  or  seat  myself  by  the 
fireside. 

This  was  good  news,  but  my  joy  was  somewhat  damp- 
ened by  the  intelligence  that  I  could  not  be  furnished 
immediately  with  a  pair  of  crutches,  all  belonging  to  the 
establishment  being  in  use.  I  borrowed  a  pair  occasion- 
ally for  a  few  minutes,  from  an  unfortunate  individual  who 
was  domiciled  in  my  apartment,  and  sometimes  I  shuffled 
about  for  exercise  with  a  stout  cane  in  my  right  hand,  and 
a  house-brush,  in  an  inverted  position  under  my  left  arm, 
in  lieu  of  a  crutch. 

I  witnessed  many  interesting  scenes  during  my  stay  in 
the  Infirmary,  and  fell  in  with  some  singular  individuals, 
all  of  which  showed  me  phases  of  human  life  that  I  had 


172  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

never  dreamed  of.  The  tall,  military-looking  man,  with 
whom  I  became  acquainted  soon  after  I  entered  the  estab- 
lishment, proved  to  have  been  a  soldier.  He  had  served 
for  years  in  a  regiment  of  heavy  dragoons,  and  attained 
the  rank  of  corporal.  He  had  sabred  Frenchmen  by 
dozens  during  the  unsuccessful  campaign  in  Holland  under 
the  Duke  of  York.  He  fought  his  battles  over  again  with 
all  the  ardor  and  energy  of  an  Othello,  and  to  an  audience 
as  attentive,  although,  it  may  be,  not  so  high-born  or 
beautiful. 

There  was  also  present  during  my  stay  a  young  native 
of  the  Emerald  Isle,  who  had  seen  service  in  the  British 
navy.  In  an  obstinate  and  bloody  battle  between  English 
and  French  squadrons  off  the  Island  of  Lissa,  in  the 
Adriatic,  about  nine  months  before,  in  which  Sir  William 
Hoste  achieved  a  splendid  victory,  his  leg  had  been  shat- 
tered by  a  splinter.  After  a  partial  recovery  he  had 
received  his  discharge,  and  was  returning  to  his  home  in 
"  dear  Old  Ireland,"  when  a  relapse  took  place,  and  he  took 
refuge  in  the  hospital.  He  also  could  tell  tales  of  won- 
drous interest  connected  with  man-of-war  life.  He  loved 
to  talk  of  his  cruises  in  the  Mediterranean,  of  the  whizzing 
of  cannon  balls,  the  mutilation  of  limbs,  decks  slippery 
with  gore,  levanters,  pressgangs,  boatswains'  calls,  and  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails  of  the  boatswains'  mates. 

The  patient,  from  whom  I  occasionally  borrowed  a  pair 
of  crutches,  although  a  pleasant  companion,  bore  upon  his 
person  unequivocal  marks  of  having  met  with  rough  han- 
dling on  the  ocean  or  on  the  land.  He  was  minus  an  eye, 
his  nose  had  been  knocked  athwart-ships  to  the  great  in- 
jury of  his  beauty,  and  a  deep  scar,  from  a  wound  made 
with  a  bludgeon,  adorned  one  of  his  temples  !  I  learned 
that  this  man,  who  seemed  to  have  been  the  football  of 
fortune  and  had  received  many  hard  kicks,  had  never  been 
in  the  army  or  the  navy  that  his  wounds  had  been  re- 
ceived in  civil  wars,  battling  with  his  countrymen.  I  was 


SCENES    IN    A    HOSPITAL.  178 

further  told  by  the  nurse,  as  a  secret,  that  although  he  was 
so  amiable  among  his  fellow-sufferers  in  the  hospital,  when 
outside  the  walls,  if  he  could  obtain  a  glass  of  gin  or 
whiskey  to  raise  his  temper  and  courage  to  the  striking 
point,  he  never  passed  a  day  without  fighting.  He  was 
notorious  for  his  pugnacious  propensities ;  had  been  in  the 
Infirmary  more  than  once  for  the  tokens  he  had  received 
of  the  prowess  of  his  opponents.  In  his  battles  he  always 
came  off  second  best,  and  was  now  in  the  "  accident  ward  " 
in  consequence  of  a  broken  leg,  having  been  kicked  down 
stairs  by  a  gang  of  rowdies  whom  he  had  insulted  and 
defied  ! 

There  were  also  in  the  Infirmary  inmates  of  a  more  pa- 
cific character.  Fortunately  for  mankind  it  is  not  the 
mission  of  every  one  to  fight.  Among  them  was  a  gar- 
dener, a  poor,  inoffensive  man,  advanced  in  years,  who 
Avith  a  cleaver  had  chopped  off — accidentally,  he  said  — 
two  fingers  of  his  right  hand.  The  mutilation  was  inten- 
tional without  doubt ;  his  object  having  been  to  procure  a 
claim  for  subsistence  in  the  Infirmary  for  a  time,  and  after- 
wards a  passport  to  the  poorhouse  in  Chester  for  life.  He 
had  experienced  the  ills  of  poverty ;  had  outlived  his  wife 
and  children ;  and  able  to  talk  well  and  fluently,  enter- 
tained us  with  homely  but  forcible  narratives  illustrat- 
ing life  in  the  lowest  ranks  of  society.  When  his  wounds 
were  healed  he  was  reluctant  to  quit  his  comfortable  quar- 
ters, and  was  actually  driven  from  the  establishment. 

Other  patients  were  brought  in  from  time  to  time,  and 
their  wounds  dressed.  Some  were  dismissed  in  a  few 
days ;  others  detained  for  months.  One  intelligent  young 
man,  an  English  mechanic,  was  afflicted  with  a  white  swell- 
ing on  his  knee  and  suffered  intolerable  pain.  His  sobs 
and  groans  through  the  night,  which  he  could  not  sup- 
press, excited  my  sympathy,  but  grated  harshly  on  the 
nerves  of  my  tall  friend  the  corporal  of  dragoons,  who 
expostulated  with  him  seriously  on  the  unreasonableness 

15* 


174  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

of  his  conduct,  arguing,  like  the  honest  tar  on  board  the 
brig  Clarissa,  that  these  loud  indications  of  suffering,  while 
they  afforded  no  positive  relief  to  the  sufferer,  disturbed 
the  slumbers  of  those  who  were  free  from  pain  or  bore  it 
with  becoming  fortitude. 

In  the  evening,  after  we  had  partaken  of  the  regular 
meal,  those  of  us  who  were  able  to  move  about,  and  to 
whom  I  have  more  particularly  alluded,  would  gather 
around  the  hearth,  a  coal  fire  burning  in  the  grate,  and 
pass  a  couple  of  hours  in  conversation,  in  which  agreeable 
occupation,  having  read  much  and  already  seen  something 
of  the  world,  I  was  able  to  bear  a  part.  There  are  few 
persons  who  are  unable  to  converse,  and  converse  well 
too,  when  their  feelings  are  enlisted  and  they  labor  under 
no  restraint ;  and  very  few  persons  so  dull  and  stupid  as 
to  fail  to  receive  or  impart  instruction  from  conversation 
with  others. 

Notwithstanding  the  rules  of  the  Infirmary  to  the  con- 
trary, the  inmates  of  "  number  one  "  were  not  altogether 
deprived  of  the  advantages  and  charms  of  female  society. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  old  nurse,  who  was  a  host  in  gossip 
herself,  her  two  daughters,  both  young  and  pretty  girls, 
were  sometimes  smuggled  into  the  Infirmary  by  the  con- 
nivance of  the  grim  and  trustworthy  porter,  and  remnined 
there  days  at  a  time,  carefully  hid  away  in  the  pantry 
whenever  "the  master"  or  the  surgeons  went  their  regular 
rounds,  which  was  always  at  stated  hours.  When  the 
wind  raged  without,  and  the  rain,  hail,  or  snow  sought 
entrance  through  the  casement,  while  sitting  near  a  com- 
fortable fire,  listening  to  female  prattle  and  gossip,  narra- 
tives of  incidents  of  real  life,  discussions  on  disputed  points 
in  politics,  philosophy,  or  religion  between  my  friend  with 
the  crutches  and  the  tall  corporal  of  dragoons,  who  were 
both  as  fond  of  controversy  as  Mr.  Shandy  himself;  or 
drinking  in  with  my  ears  the  Irish  tar's  glowing  descrip- 
tions 


SCENES    IN    A    HOSPITAL.  175 

"  Of  moving  accidents  by  flood  and  field  ; 
And  of  the  cannibals  that  each  other  eat ; 
The  anthropophagi,  and  men  whose  heads 
Do  grow  beneath  their  shoulders  !  " 

I  was  led  to  confess  there  were  worse  places  in  the  world 
than  the  Liverpool  Infirmary. 

After  a  week's  delay  I  came  into  possession  of  a  pair 
of  crutches,  and  could  move  around  the  room  at  pleasure, 
take  exercise  in  the  hall,  and  even  visit  an  acquaintance  in 
either  of  the  other  apartments.  The  garden  attached  to 
the  establishment  was  thrown  open  to  the  patients  at 
stated  hours  on  particular  days.  The  season  was  not  in- 
viting; nevertheless,  one  sunny  day,  accompanied  by  my 
lame  friend  of  pugnacious  reputation,  I  visited  the  garden, 
and  rejoiced  at  finding  myself  once  more  in  the  open  air. 
The  ramble  on  cratches  through  the  lonely  walks  was  truly 
refreshing.  Our  spirits  mounted  to  fever  heat,  and  as  we 
returned  towards  the  building  through  the  neatly  grav- 
elled avenue,  my  companion  proposed  a  race,  to  which  I 
assented.  I  have  forgotten  which  won  the  race ;  I  know 
we  both  made  capital  time,  and  performed  to  our  own  sat- 
isfaction, but  not  to  the  satisfaction  of  others.  The  gar- 
dener grumbled  at  the  manner  in  which  his  walks  were 
perforated  and  disfigured  by  our  crutches.  He  complained 
to  the  authorities,  and  greatly  to  our  regret  a  regulation 
was  adopted  by  which  all  persons  using  crutches  were  for- 
bidden to  enter  the  garden. 

I  remained  six  weeks  in  the  Infirmary,  and  became  ac- 
customed to  the  place,  and  made  myself  useful  in  various 
ways.  I  held  the  basin  when  a  patient  was  let  blood ;  I 
took  charge  of  the  instruments  and  bandages  when  a  seri- 
ous wound  was  closed  by  sutures  and  afterwards  dressed  ; 
and  was  particularly  busy  when  a  fracture  was  examined 
or  a  dislocation  reduced.  Indeed  I  took  a  strange  kind  of 
interest  in  witnessing  and  aiding  in  the  various  opera- 
tions, and  was  in  a  fair  way  to  become  a  good  practical 


176  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

surgeon,  when  I  was  discharged,  and  found  myself  a  poor 
sailor,  friendless,  penniless,  and  lame.  But  the  surgical 
knowledge,  inaccurate  and  desultory  as  it  was,  which  I 
acquired  in  the  Liverpool  Infirmary,  and  the  power  to  pre- 
serve coolness  and  presence  of  mind,  and  minister  relief  in 
cases  of  wounds  and  dangerous  diseases,  when  no  medical 
adviser  could  be  applied  to,  has  often  since  been  of  valu- 
able service  to  myself  and  others. 

I  took  an  affectionate  farewell  of  my  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances in  the  establishment,  not  forgetting  the  nurse 
and  her  pretty  daughters,  and,  accompanied  by  the  land- 
lord of  the  house  where  the  crew  of  the  ship  Packet 
boarded,  passed  through  the  gateway  without  meeting  any 
obstruction  on  the  part  of  the  porter,  who,  on  the  contrary, 
grinned  his  approbation  of  my  departure. 

The  distance  to  the  boarding  house  was  about  half  a 
mile ;  nevertheless  I  accomplished  it  easily  on  crutches 
without  being  fatigued,  and  congratulated  myself  when 
I  passed  the  threshold  and  arrived  at  what  I  considered 
my  home.  But  my  troubles  were  not  ended.  The  land- 
lady, who  was  actually  "  the  head  "  of  the  house,  did  not 
welcome  my  return  with  the  cordiality  I  expected.  She 
expressed  a  hope  that  the  American  consul  would  lose 
no  time  in  providing  means  for  my  return  to  the  United 
States,  and  favored  me  with  the  interesting  information 
that  while  the  regular  charge  for  board  without  lodging 
was  eighteen  shillings  a  week,  the  American  government 
allowed  only  twelve  shillings  a  week  for  board  and  lodg- 
ing. The  inevitable  inference  was,  that  I  was  an  unprofit- 
able boarder,  and  the  sooner  they  got  me  oif  their  hands 
the  better. 

Another  circumstance  was  a  source  of  greater  chagrin. 
When  I  reached  the  house,  one  of  my  first  inquiries  was 
for  my  chest  and  other  property  which  I  left  in  the  fore- 
castle of  the  ship.  My  chest  was  safely  deposited  with 
the  landlord;  but  it  was  nearly  empty!  To  my  dismay  I 


SCENES    IX    A    HOSPITAL.  177 

found  that  my  stock  of  clothing  for  a  two  years'  voyage  — 
jackets,  boots,  hats,  blankets,  and  books  —  had  vanished. 
A  few  u  old  duds "  only  were  left,  hardly  enough  for  a 
change  of  raiment.  The  officers  had  neglected  to  lock  my 
chest  and  look  after  my  little  property;  the  men  were 
bound  on  a  long  and  tempestuous  voyage,  some  of  them 
scantily  furnished  with  clothing;  the  ship  was  to  sail  in  a 
day  or  two  after  I  was  carried  to  the  hospital ;  the  tempta- 
tion was  irresistible ;  they  helped  themselves  freely  at  the 
expense  of  their  unfortunate  shipmate ! 

The  United  States  consul  at  Liverpool  was  a  merchant, 
of  large  means  and  extensive  business ;  a  man  of  great 
respectability,  and  it  was  confidently  asserted,  of  generous 
feelings.  I  doubted  not  that  when  my  case  was  repre- 
sented to  him  he  would  grant  me  some  relief,  especially 
as  Captain  Bacon  had  recommended  me  to  his  care.  I 
had  heard  nothing  from  him  in  the  Infirmary.  He  was 
notified,  officially,  of  my  discharge ;  and  as  vessels  were 
every  day  leaving  Liverpool  for  Boston  and  New  York,  I 
expected  to  be  immediately  provided  with  a  passage  to 
one  of  those  ports.  But  when  days  passed  away,  and  I 
seemed  to  be  forgotten,  I  mounted  my  crutches  one  mom- 
ing  and  hobbled  off  through  the  crowded  streets,  to  a  dis- 
tant part  of  the  town,  in  quest  of  an  interview  with  the 
consul,  intending  to  solicit  that  assistance  to  which  every 
American  citizen  in  distress  was  entitled. 

With  some  difficulty,  for  Liverpool  is  not  a  rectangular 
town,  I  found  the  counting  room  of  the  consul,  into  which 
I  boldly  entered,  confidently  anticipating  not  only  relief 
but  sympathy  for  my  misfortune.  My  appearance  was  not 
prepossessing,  as  my  garments,  although  of  the  true  nau- 
tical cut,  were  neither  new  nor  genteel ;  and  although  I 
was  in  perfect  health,  my  complexion  was  sallow  from  long 
confinement.  But  these  drawbacks  on  my  respectability, 
I  thought,  under  the  circumstances,  might  be  excused.  I 
found  myself  in  a  comfortable  apartment  in  which  two  or 


178  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

three  young  men  were  writing  at  desks,  one  of  whom,  a 
dapper  little  fellow,  dressed  with  as  much  precision  and 
neatness  as  if  he  had  just  escaped  from  a  bandbox,  came 
towards  me  with  a  stern,  forbidding  look,  and  asked  me 
what  I  wanted. 

"I  want  to  see  the  American  consul." 

"  The  consul  is  not  in." 

"  When  do  you  expect  him  ? "  I  inquired,  in  a  tone  of 
disappointment. 

"  'Tis  uncertain.     He  may  not  be  here  to-day." 

"  I  am  sorry,  as  I  have  some  important  business  with 
him." 

"What  is  your  important  business?"  demanded  the 
clerk,  in  an  authoritative  manner.  "  Perhaps  I  can  attend 
to  it." 

"  I  am  the  young  American  sailor,  who  met  with  an  ac- 
cident on  board  the  ship  Packet,  and  was  sent  to  the  In- 
firmary. I  have  recently  been  discharged,  and  am  in  want 
of  some  articles  of  clothing,  and  particularly  a  pair  of 
shoes.  I  also  want  to  know  if  the  consul  has  taken  steps 
towards  procuring  me  a  passage  to  Boston." 

"  Very  important  business,  truly ! "  replied  the  English- 
man, with  a  sneer.  "  How  does  it  happen  that  you  are  so 
poorly  off  for  clothing?" 

I  explained  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  rob- 
bery of  my  chest  by  my  shipmates. 

"  A  likely  story ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  As  to  giving  you  a 
pair  of  shoes,  my  fine  fellow,  that  is  out  of  the  question. 
When  any  step  is  taken  towards  sending  you  to  the  United 
States,  you,  or  the  man  you  board  with,  will  hear  of  it." 
Saying  this,  the  worthy  representative  of  our  government, 
after  pointing  significantly  to  the  door,  turned  away  and 
resumed  his  occupation  at  the  desk.  Disappointed  and 
shocked  at  such  a  reception,  I  ventured  to  inquire  if  I 
should  be  able  to  see  the  consul  on  the  following  day. 

"  No ! "  replied  the  clerk,  abruptly,  without  raising  his 


UXITED    STATES    CONSULS.  179 

eyes  from   the  desk  ;    "  neither  to-morrow  nor  the  day 
after." 

I  left  the  counting  room,  hobbled  down  the  steps,  and 
returned  to  my  temporary  home,  feeling  like  "the  Ancient 
Mariner,"  "  a  sadder  and  a  wiser  man  1 " 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

UNITED     STATES     CONSULS. 

WEEKS  passed,  and  I  remained  in  Liverpool.  I  had 
called  several  times  at  the  consulate,  and  each  time  met 
with  the  same  ungracious  reception.  I  could  never  see 
the  consul,  and  began  to  regard  him  as  a  myth.  I  did  not 
then  know  that  every  time  I  called  he  was  seated  at  his 
comfortable  desk  in  a  room  elegantly  furnished,  which  was 
entered  from  the  ante-room  occupied  by  his  clerks.  Nor 
could  I  get  any  satisfactory  information  from  the  well- 
dressed  Englishman,  his  head  clerk.  I  ventured  to  ask 
that  gentleman  one  day  if  Captain  Bacon  had  not  left 
money  with  Mr.  Mauiy  for  my  benefit.  But  he  seemed 
astonished  at  my  audacity  in  imagining  the  possibility  of 
such  a  thing. 

After  the  lapse  of  three  weeks,  a  messenger  came  to  my 
boarding  house  with  directions  for  me  to  appear  at  the  con- 
sulate the  next  morning  at  nine  o'clock  precisely.  Full  of 
hope,  overjoyed  that  some  change  was  about  to  take  place 
in  my  destiny,  I  impatiently  awaited  the  hour  in  which  I 
was  to  present  myself  at  the  office  of  the  American  con- 
sul, hoping  to  have  an  interview  with  that  dignitary.  By 
this  time  I  had  thrown  aside  my  crutches,  and,  although 
owing  to  the  weakness  of  my  fractured  limb  I  limped  a* 
ungracefully  as  the  swarthy  deity  who,  after  being  kicked 


180  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

out  of  heaven,  set  up  his  blacksmith's  shop  in  the  Isle  of 
Lemnos,  I  managed,  with  the  aid  of  a  stout  cane,  to  pass 
through  the  streets  without  difficulty. 

When  I  reached  the  counting  room  of  the  consul  I 
found  the  everlasting  clerk  at  his  post,  as  unfeeling,  as 
authoritative,  and  haughty  as  ever.  He  addressed  me  at 
once  as  follows :  "  You  will  go  directly  to  Queen's  Dock ; 
find  the  ship  Lady  Madison  of  New  York,  and  put  this 
letter  into  the  hands  of  Captain  Swain.  He  will  give  you 
a  passage  to  New  York,  where  you  must  take  care  of  your- 
self. The  ship  will  sail  in  a  day  or  two.  Be  sure  to  be  on 
board  when  the  ship  leaves  the  dock." 

I  regretted  that  a  passage  had  not  been  provided  in  a 
vessel  going  directly  to  Boston.  Ships  were  leaving  Liver- 
pool every  day  for  that  place.  Nevertheless,  I  took  the 
letter  with  a  good  grace,  told  the  clerk  I  was  rejoiced  at 
such  good  news ;  that  I  was  as  much  pleased  at  the  idea 
of  leaving  Liverpool  as  he  could  possibly  be  at  getting  rid 
of  my  complaints.  But  I  suggested  that  I  was  not  in  a 
condition  to  work  my  passage  as  was  proposed,  at  that 
inclement  season,  unless  I  was  furnished  with  some  ad- 
ditional clothing, — a  pea-jacket,  a  blanket,  and  a  pair  of 
boots  or  shoes ;  and  I  pointed  to  the  shoes  on  my 
feet,  which  were  little  better  than  a  pair  of  very  shabby 
sandals. 

The  little  deputy  listened  with  impatience  to  my  sug- 
gestions. He  then  wrote  something  on  a  slip  of  paper. 
"  Here,"  said  he,  "  is  an  order  for  a  pair  of  shoes :  and  it  is 
all  you  will  get!  A  pea-jacket  is  out  of  the  question;  and 
as  for  blankets,  I  suppose  you'll  find  enough  on  board. 
Captain  Swain  will  take  care  of  you.  Your  passage  will 
not  be  a  long  one  —  only  thirty  or  forty  days.  I  dare  say 
you  will  live  through  it ;  if  not,  there  will  be  no  great 
loss  ! "  And  conscious  that  he  had  said  a  good  thing,  he 
looked  at  his  fellow-clerks  and  smiled. 

I  felt  indignant  at  such  treatment,  but  wisely  refrained 


UNITED    STATES    CONSULS.  181 

from  giving  utterence  to  my  feelings,  and  proceeded  di- 
rectly to  the  Queen's  Dock,  where  I  found  Captain  Swain, 
and  handed  him  the  letter.  He  read  it,  crumpled  it  up 
and  put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  then  stared  fixedly  at  me,  ex- 
claiming, "  Well,  this  is  a  pretty  business  !  What  does 
the  consul  mean  by  sending  such  a  chap  as  you  home  in 
my  ship  ?  Are  there  not  ships  enough  in  port  to  take  you 
home  without  singling  out  mine  ?  n 

To  this  question  I  could  give  no  satisfactory  answer,  nor 
is  it  probable  he  expected  one.  After  a  further  ebullition 
of  wrath  he  honored  me  with  another  stare,  surveyed  me 
from  head  to  foot,  and  with  an  air  rather  rude  than  polite, 
gruffly  remarked,  "  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  take  you,  and 
make  the  best  of  it.  The  ship  will  sail  the  day  after  to- 
morrow;" and  he  turned  away,  muttering  something  I 
could  not  distinctly  hear,  but  which  I  suspect  was  not 
complimentary  to  myself  or  the  American  consul. 

I  returned  to  my  boarding  house,  and  gladdened  the 
master  and  mistress  with  the  intelligence  that  the  consul 
had  at  last  found  a  ship  to  take  me  to  the  United  States. 
I  packed  in  my  chest  the  few  articles  my  shipmates  had 
considerately  left  me,  not  forgetting  the  pair  of  shoes 
which  the  mild-mannered  and  compassionate  consular 
clerk  had  given  me,  and  made  my  appearance,  a  most  un- 
welcome guest,  on  the  deck  of  the  Lady  Madison,  as  the 
ship  was  hauling  out  of  dock.  And  thus,  without  articles 
of  clothing  necessary  to  supply  my  actual  wants;  with- 
out bed  or  bedding ;  destitute  of  "  small  stores,"  as  tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  &c.,  which  were  not  furnished  the  sailors, 
they  receiving  a  certain  sum  of  money  instead  and  supply- 
ing themselves ;  deprived  of  the  little  comforts  which  even 
the  most  unthrifty  seamen  will  provide  on  a  passage  across 
the  Atlantic ;  the  victim,  not  of  imprudence  or  vice,  but 
of  misfortune ;  after  a  tedious  and  unnecessary,  delay  I 
was  sent,  a  stranger,  against  whom  the  captain  and  officers 
were  unjustly  prejudiced,  and,  in  a  crippled  condition,  on 

16 


182  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

board  a  ship  to  work  my  passage  to  ray  native  land !  And 
this  was  done  by  the  orders  and  authority  of  a  man  who 
was  bound  by  his  official  duties  to  render  all  necessary  and 
reasonable  relief  to  Americans  in  distress! 

Were  this  a  solitary  instance  of  the  kind  I  should  hardly 
indulge  in  a  passing  remark.  But  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  such  cases,  caused  by  the  inhumanity  or  culpable 
neglect  of  American  consuls  in  foreign  ports,  are  not  un- 
common. If  such  proceedings  take  place  under  the  eye 
and  authority  and  apparent  sanction  of  a  man  of  high 
character  and  acknowledged  worth,  what  may  we  not  ex- 
pect from  consuls  of  a  different  character ;  —  from  men  who 
never  knew  a  noble  impulse  ;  whose  bosoms  never  throbbed 
with  one  generous  feeling? 

Our  government  is  not  sufficiently  circumspect  in  the 
appointment  of  consuls.  The  office  is  an  important  one,  and 
should  be  given  to  men  capable  of  faithfully  executing  the 
duties.  It  cannot  be  properly  filled  by  persons  whose  time 
is  engrossed  by  business  of  their  own,  by  political  pai-ti- 
sans,  or  men  who  have  no  practical  knowledge  of  mercan- 
tile affairs.  American  consuls  should  also  be  supposed  to 
have  some  sympathy  with  every  class  of  American  citizens, 
and  capable  of  enjoying  satisfaction  in  relieving  the  suffer- 
ings of  a  fellow-creature.  All  consular  fees  should  be 
abolished,  and  the  consul  should  receive  from  the  govern- 
ment a  yearly  compensation,  graduated  on  the  importance 
of  his  duties. 

The  Lady  Madison  was  considered  a  large  ship,  —  being 
four  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden.  She  belonged  to 
Jacob  Barker,  now  a  resident  of  New  Orleans,  but  who 
was  at  that  time  in  the  zenith  of  his  mercantile  prosperity, 
and  the  owner  of  ships  trading  to  all  parts  of  the  globe. 
Captain  Swain  was  a  native  and  resident  of  Nantucket,  an 
excellent  sailor  and  a  worthy  man ;  and  the  ship  was  navi- 
gated by  a  crew  composed  mostly  of  young  and  active 
Americans.  The  Lady  Madison  had  sailed  from  Cronstadt 


UNITED    STATES    CONSULS.  183 

bound  to  New  York,  but  met  with  disasters  which  com- 
pelled her  to  put  into  Liverpool  for  repairs. 

On  joining  the  Lady  Madison  I  found  there  was  a  very 
natural  but  unjust  prejudice  existing  against  me  on  the 
part  of  the  officers,  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  over- 
come. I  was  thrust  on  board  by  the  consul  against  their 
wishes,  and  was  entitled  to  ship  room  and  ship's  fare,  which 
was  reluctantly  granted.  I  must,  however,  admit  that  my 
appearance,  with  a  costume  of  the  "  Persian  "  cut,  pale 
and  sickly  visage  and  a  halting  gait,  an  air  of  dejection 
caused  by  misfortune  and  diffidence,  was  not  prepossessing, 
but  verged  strongly  on  the  vagabond  order.  It  is,  there- 
fore, not  surprising  that  when  I  stepped  on  deck  I  was 
looked  upon  as  an  intruder,  and  instead  of  being  greeted 
with  smiles  and  words  of  encouragement,  of  which  I  was 
greatly  in  need,  received  looks  which  would  have  chilled 
an  icicle,  and  frowns  which  made  me  feel  all  my  insignifi- 
cance. 

I  should  probably  have  found  little  sympathy  among  the 
sailors  had  I  not  met  among  them  an  old  acquaintance. 
A  young  man  named  Giddings,  on  hearing  my  name  men- 
tioned, regarded  me  with  a  degree  of  interest  that  sur- 
prised me.  After  staring  at  me  a  few  minutes,  he  inquired 
if  I  had  not  once  lived  in  Rockingham  county,  Xew 
Hampshire.  On  my  replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  intro- 
duced himself  as  an  old  schoolmate,  a  native  of  Exeter, 
from  which,  having  chosen  a  sailor's  life,  he  had  been  absent 
for  years. 

I  rejoiced  at  finding  a  friend,  and  soon  realized  the  truth 
of  the  good  old  proverb,  "a  friend  in  need  is  afriend  indeed." 
Through  his  influence  and  representations  the  crew  were 
disposed  to  look  upon  me  in  a  favorable  light.  He  gave 
me  the  privilege  of  using  his  berth  and  his  blankets  during 
my  watch  below  ;  he  loaned  me  a  monkey  jacket  in  stormy 
weather,  and  shared  with  me  his  "  small  stores,"  of  which 
he  had  a  good  supply.  More  than  all  this,  he  encouraged 


184  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

me  to  keep  a  stout  heart  and  "  stiff  upper  lip,"  assuring  me 
that  all  would  come  right  in  the  end.  Had  it  not  been  for 
that  kind-hearted  young  man,  my  condition  on  board  the 
ship  must  have  been  wretched.  I  have  often  witnessed 
the  disgraceful  fact,  that  when  a  man  is  down  every  one 
seems  determined  to  keep  him  down !  If  a  poor  fellow 
receives  a  kick  from  fortune,  every  man  he  meets  with  will 
give  him  another  kick  for  that  very  reason  ! 

Captain  Swain  never  deigned  to  notice  me  in  any  way, 
and  the  chief  mate  followed  his  example  so  far  as  was 
practicable.  The  second  mate's  name  was  Cathcart.  He 
was  a  man  of  inferior  capacity,  ignorant,  and  coarse.  As 
I  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  "  black  sheep  "  in  the  flock, 
and  was  in  the  second  mate's  watch,  that  officer  imagined 
he  could,  with  impunity,  make  me  a  target  for  his  vulgar 
jokes,  and  practised  on  me  a  line  of  conduct  which  he 
dared  not  practise  on  others.  A  day  or  two  after  we  left 
Liverpool,  he  took  occasion,  when  several  of  the  crew  were 
standing  by,  to  make  my  rather  quaint  name  the  subject 
of  some  offensive  remarks.  My  indignation  was  roused  at 
such  ungentlemanly  conduct,  and  I  retorted  with  a  degree 
of  bitterness  as  well  as  imprudence  that  surprised  myself 
as  well  as  others. 

"My  name?"  said  I:  "you  object  to  my  name  !  Look 
at  home !  My  name  is  a  quiet  name,  a  sensible  name,  sur- 
rounded with  pleasant  associations,  and  easily  spoken, 
which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  yours.  Ca-a-th-ca-r-r-t ! 
There  is  neither  sense,  meaning,  nor  beauty  in  that  name. 
Why,"  continued  I,  making  strange  grimaces,  "  one  cannot 
speak  it  without  twisting  the  mouth  into  kinks  and  cuck- 
old's necks  without  number.  Ca-a-th-c-a-a-rt !  I  would 
sooner  be  called  Tantarabogus." 

This  turned  the  laugh  against  him.  He  made  no  reply, 
but  no  longer  annoyed  me  with  his  coarse  jokes,  and  the 
respectable  epithet  of  "  Tantarabogus"  stuck  to  him  until 
our  arrival  in  New  York. 


UNITED    STATES    CONSULS.  1'iJ 

The  ship  Lady  Madison  left  Liverpool  about  the  17th 
of  March,  1812.  The  wind  had  been  blowing  a  long 
time  from  the  westward,  with  occasional  gales  which  pre- 
vented vessels  from  getting  to  sea ;  and  we  sailed  in  com- 
pany with  a  large  fleet  of  merchant  ships  at  the  com- 
mencement of  a  change  of  wind.  We  left  the  Mersey 
with  a  fine  breeze  and  soon  passed  the  headmost  vessels  in 
the  fleet.  Our  ship  was  large,  a  fine  model,  newly  cop- 
pered, well  provided  with  sails,  and  having  left  part  of  her 
cargo  in  Liverpool  was  in  good  ballast  trim,  and  slipped 
through  the  water  like  a  fish. 

For  eight  days  this  easterly  wind  continued,  the  ship 
sometimes  carrying  top-gallant  sails  and  a  fore-topmast 
studding  sail,  and  sometimes  running  directly  before  the 
wind  under  double-reefed  topsails  and  foresail,  progressing 
at  the  rate  of  ten,  eleven,  and  eleven  and  a  half  knots. 
Chronometers  were  unknown  in  those  days,  and  lunar  ob- 
servations, owing  to  the  cloudy  weather  and  other  causes, 
could  not  be  taken  during  the  passage.  It  is,  therefore, 
not  remarkable  that  under  the  circumstances,  and  with  a 
heavy  sea  following  the  ship,  the  judgment  of  the  navi- 
gators was  at  fault  and  the  ship  overran  her  reckoning. 

On  the  eighth  day  after  the  Lady  Madison  left  the  dock, 
the  atmosphere  being  hazy  and  the  temperature  unusually 
cool,  I  was  standing  on  the  lee  side  of  the  forecastle  when 
something  afar  off  on  the  bow  caught  my  eye.  It  looked 
like  a  massive  fortress  on  a  mountain  rock  of  crystal.  Its 
appearance,  different  from  any  thing  I  had  ever  seen  on 
the  ocean,  excited  my  wonder.  Could  it  be  a  cloud  ?  I 
pointed  it  out  to  one  of  my  watchmates,  who,  being 
familiar  with  such  appearances,  instantly  called  out, 
"  Ice,  ho  ! " 

There  was  a  commotion  throughout  the  ship.  "  Ice ! " 
exclaimed  the  captain,  rushing  up  the  companion-way,  spy- 
gl:!ss  in  hand.  "Ice!  where-away?  'Tis  impossible! 
We  cannot  be  near  the  Grand  Bank!" 

10* 


186  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

The  ice  island  was  now  clearly  perceptible,  looming  up 
through  the  thin  fog,  "a  fixed  fact,"  which  could  not  be 
shaken.  We  were  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Bank 
of  Newfoundland.  In  eight  days  the  ship  had  run 
nearly  two  thousand  miles.  Although  this  may  not  be 
considered  a  remarkable  feat  for  a  modern  clipper  of  giant 
proportions,  it  was  an  instance  of  fast  sailing  and  favorable 
breezes  seldom  exceeded  in  those  days. 

Had  the  wind  continued  unchanged  in  strength  or 
direction  after  we  reached  the  Bank,  we  should  have  made 
the  passage  to  New  York  in  twelve  days.  But  its  force 
was  spent.  Instead  of  feeling  grateful  and  expressing  sat- 
isfaction at  such  a  noble  run,  the  captain,  and  I  believe 
every  man  on  board,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  grumbled 
intolerably  when  the  change  took  place !  Head  winds  and 
calms  prevailed,  and  ten  days  elapsed  before  we  greeted 
the  Highlands  of  Neversink.  We  passed  inside  of  Sandy 
Hook  on  the  4th  of  April,  1812,  having  made  a  passage 
of  eighteen  days  from  Liverpool  to  anchorage  off  the 
Battery ! 

While  beating  through  the  Narrows  we  passed  the  ship 
Honestus,  which  sailed  from  Liverpool  about  forty  days 
before  the  Lady  Madison  left  that  port,  and  had  been 
battling  with  head  winds  the  whole  distance  across  the 
Atlantic. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

ADRIFT     IN     NEW     YORK. 

WHEN  the  ship  Lady  Madison  arrived  in  New  York 
there  was  quite  a  stir  among  the  mercantile  commu- 
nity. Congress  was  engaged  in  important  deliberations, 
and  it  was  whispered,  that  in  secret  session,  an  em- 


ADRIFT    IN    NEW    YORK.  1ST 

bargo  was  about  to  be  laid  on  American  vessels  in  every 
port  in  the  United  States  as  a  preparatory  step  to  a  decla- 
ration of  war  against  Great  Britain. 

The  passage  of  an  "embargo  act"  was  generally  ex- 
pected ;  but  many  persons,  who  had  full  faith  in  the  more 
than  Christian  patience  and  forbearance  of  our  govern- 
ment, believed  there  would  be  no  war,  notwithstanding 
the  insults  heaped  upon  American  citizens,  the  piratical 
aggressions  on  our  commerce,  and  the  contumely  and  con- 
tempt in  which  our  government  and  our  flag,  during  a 
series  of  years,  had  been  every  where  held  by  British  au- 
thorities, as  shown  in  the  capture  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  a 
multitude  of  kindred  acts,  each  of  which,  as  a  knowledge 
of  them  travelled  through  the  land,  should  have  produced 
the  effect  of  a  "  fiery  cross,"  and  kindled  into  a  fierce  and 
living  flame  every  spark  of  patriotism  existing  in  the 
bosoms  of  our  countrymen. 

There  was  great  commotion  on  the  wharves.  "The 
embargo  is  coming,"  said  one  excited  individual.  "  The 
act  is  already  passed  ! "  said  another.  Merchants  were  busy 
fitting  away  their  ships  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe  ;  the 
piers  and  wharves  were  lumbered  with  goods  and  produce 
of  every  description  ;  the  work  was  busily  carried  on  night 
and  day ;  fabulous  prices  were  paid  to  laborers ;  in  many 
cases  the  cargoes  were  thrown  on  board,  tumbled  into  the 
hold,  or  piled  on  the  decks,  and  the  ship  was  "  cleared  "  at 
the  custom  house,  got  under  weigh,  and  anchored  in  the 
otling,  where,  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States, 
her  stores  and  what  remained  of  her  cargo  were  smuggled 
on  board  at  leisure. 

On  reaching  New  York  I  again  found  myself  in  a 
strange  city,  without  money  or  friends.  I  went  with  Gid- 
dings  and  some  of  his  shipmates  to  a  sailor  boarding  house 
in  Dover  Street,  kept  by  a  German  named  Hansen.  At 
the  recommendation  of  Giddings  the  landlord  received 
me,  although  with  reluctance,  as  I  had  no  visible  means  of 


188  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

paying  for  my  board.  Giddings  and  his  friends  shipped 
the  following  day  for  another  voyage  in  the  Lady  Madison, 
which  ship  left  the  harbor  for  Liverpool  on  the  evening 
previous  to  the  reception  of  the  news  of  the  passage  of  the 
"  embargo  act,"  which,  by  some  mysterious  influence,  had 
been  strangely  delayed.  The  Lady  Madison  remained  at 
anchor,  for  at  least  a  fortnight,  nine  or  ten  mile's  outside  of 
Sandy  Hook,  when,  having  taken  on  board  those  portions 
of  her  cargo  that  had  been  forgotten,  she  proceeded  on  her 
voyage. 

My  condition  at  this  time  furnished  a  striking  contrast 
with  my  condition  when  I  left  Boston  not  five  months  be- 
fore. Disappointment  had  laid  on  my  spirits  a  heavy 
hand,  and  there  were  no  particularly  cheering  scenes  in 
perspective.  I  would  gladly  have  returned  to  my  home, 
there  to  have  recovered  the  full  use  of  my  fractured  lirnb 
before  I  embarked  on  any  new  enteq^rise.  But  I  had  no 
means  of  getting  from  New  York  to  Boston,  and  through 
a  feeling  of  pride,  far  from  commendable,  I  was  unwilling 
to  make  application  to  my  relatives  for  pecuniary  assist- 
ance. I  did  not  even  write  to  inform  them  of  my  return 
to  the  United  States. 

The  question  now  came  up,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  improve 
my  condition  and  gain  a  livelihood  ? "  Lame  as  I  was,  I 
dared  not  undertake  to  ship  in  a  square-rigged  vessel,  or 
even  a  "  topsail  schooner,"  where  it  might  often  be  neces- 
sary to  go  aloft.  I  tried  to  get  a  berth  in  a  coaster,  or 
small  vessel  trading  to  the  West  Indies,  wliere  gymnastic 
feats  would  not  be  required.  I  applied  to  many  skippers, 
but  without  success.  Even  the  proud  captain  of  a  rusty- 
looking  old  craft,  that  could  hardly  be  kept  afloat  in  the 
harbor,  looked  sour  and  sulky,  and  shook  his  head  with  as 
much  significance  as  Lord  Burleigh  himself,  when  I  in- 
quired if  he  was  in  want  of  a  hand  !  Either  my  looks  were 
unpromising,  or  this  class  of  vessels  were  well  supplied  with 
men.  In  the  mean  time  my  board  bill  was  running  up,  and 


ADRIFT    IN    NEW    YORK.  189 

my  landlord  looked  as  grave  as  an  oyster,  and  his  man- 
ners were  as  rough  as  the  outside  of  the  shell. 

Passing  through  Maiden  Lane  one  day,  I  saw  a  gen- 
tleman whom  I  had  formerly  known,  standing  in  the 
doorway  of  a  bookstore.  I  had  boarded  in  his  family 
several  weeks  after  my  recovery  from  fever  and  ague. 
He,  as  well  as  his  wife,  at  that  time  professed  a  strong 
interest  in  my  prosperity.  When  I  left  them,  and  entered 
on  my  voyage  to  South  America  in  the  Clarissa,  they 
bade  me  farewell  with  protestations  of  an  affection  as 
warm  and  enduring  as  if  I  had  been  a  near  and  dear 
relative.  It  is  therefore  not  wonderful  that  when  I  spied 
Mr.  Robinson  my  heart  yearned  towards  him.  I  had 
encountered  a  friend  in  that  overgrown  city ;  I  saw  a 
familiar  face  —  the  first  for  many  months.  Without  cal- 
culating Avhether  he  could  be  of  service  to  me,  or  whether 
it  was  proper  to  appear  before  him  in  apparel  more  re- 
markable for  its  antiquity  and  simplicity  than  its  gen- 
tility, I  obeyed  the  dictates  of  an  honest  heart,  rushed  to- 
wards him,  and  grasped  his  hand.  Perceiving  his  aston- 
ishment, and  that  he  was  about  to  reprove  my  unauthorized 
familiarity,  I  mentioned  my  name. 

"  It  is  no  wonder  you  don't  recollect  me,"  said  I ;  "  I 
have  met  with  the  rubbers,  and  must  have  greatly  changed 
since  you  saw  me  last.  Indeed,  I  am  now  rather  hard  up. 
Nothing  to  do,  and  not  a  cent  in  my  pocket.  It  rejoices 
me  to  meet  an  old  acquaintance." 

The  smile  of  recognition  with  which  Robinson  received 
the  announcement  of  my  name,  vanished  like  a  torch 
quenched  in  the  ocean  when  he  heard  of  my  penniless 
condition.  He  nevertheless  put  a  tolerably  good  face  on 
the  matter,  invited  me  into  his  store,  said  he  had  lived  in 
New  York  about  nine  months,  asked  me  several  common- 
place questions,  and  at  last,  turning  away  as  if  he  had  more 
important  business  to  attend  to,  desired  me  to  drop  in  and 
see  him  occasionally. 


190  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Not  dreaming  that  he  would  be  otherwise  than  de- 
lighted to  see  me  at  his  house,  I  bluntly  asked  him  where 
he  lived. 

"O,"  said  he,  in  a  careless  manner,  "  I  live  away  up  in 
the  Bowery,  but  my  place  ofbusiness  is  here  ;  and  when 
you  have  nothing  better  to  do,  give  me  a  call,  I  shall  al- 
ways be  glad  to  see  you ! " 

And  my  cold-hearted,  calculating  friend,  who  feared  I 
should  make  an  appeal  to  his  pockets,  gave  me  quite  a  po- 
lite bow,  and  thus  taught  me  a  lesson  in  the  fashionable 
accomplishment  of  bowing  a  troublesome  acquaintance 
into  the  street ! 

A  few  days  after  this,  as  I  was  walking  in  Broadway, 
musing  on  my  condition,  and  convinced  of  the  truth  of 
the  saying  that  "  there  is  no  solitude  so  complete  as  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  city,"  but  firmly  believing  that  something 
would  soon  "  turn  up,"  I  saw  on  the  sidewalk  an  elegant 
and  costly  breastpin,  which  must  have  belonged  to  a 
fashionable  lady.  I  gladly  seized  the  glittering  prize  and 
bore  it  away,  exulting  in  my  good  fortune.  Although  I 
intended  to  spare  no  p:;ins  to  find  the  owner,  I  trusted  the 
incident  might  in  some  way  contribute  to  my  advantage. 
I  showed  the  pin  in  triumph  to  the  wife  of  my  landlord,  a 
shrewd  woman,  not  over-scrupulous,  and  well  skilled  in  the 
art  of  turning  little  events  to  her  own  profit,  and  ex- 
plained the  circumstances  under  which  it  came  into  my 
possession. 

"  This  is  indeed  wonderful ! "  she  exclaimed,  holding  up 
her  hands.  "  How  fortunate  that  you,  of  all  persons, 
should  have  found  this  costly  ornament !  It  belongs  to 
Mrs.  Johnson,  a  dear  friend  of  mine,  who  lives  just  over 
the  way !  It  must  be  —  it  is  —  the  same.  I  know  it.  I 
have  seen  it  a  thousand  times.  She  was  here  not  five 
minutes  ago,  lamenting  the  loss  of  it.  How  overjoyed  she 
will  be  when  she  knows  it  is  found !  I  will  send  to  her 
directly,  and  make  her  happy  with  the  news." 


Mrs.  Johnson  identifying  the  breastpin.  —  p.  191. 


ADEIFT   IN    NEW   YORK.  191 

Mrs.  Hansen  disappeared,  leaving  me,  I  am  afraid,  look- 
ing rather  confounded  at  this  singular  and  unexpected 
coincidence,  and  almost  sorry  that  the  owner  of  the  pin 
had  been  so  easily  discovered.  In  a  few  minutes  Mrs. 
Hansen  returned,  accompanied  by  "  her  dear  friend,"  Mrs. 
Johnson,  who,  after  examining  the  pin,  said  it  was  her 
own.  She  thanked  me  for  having  found  it,  was  in  rap- 
tures with  her  good  fortune,  declared  she  should  never 
forget  she  was  indebted  to  me,  then  in  a  business-like  man- 
ner placed  the  rich  ornament  on  her  bosom,  where  it 
seemed  as  much  out  of  place  "  as  a  rich  jewel  in  an 
Ethiop's  ear,"  and  hastily  walked  off  with  the  prize  before 
I  could  recover  from  my  astonishment!  I  was  a  stranger 
to  the  ways  of  the  world,  and  it  did  not  occur  to  me,  until 
years  afterwards,  that  this  was  an  impromptu  comedy,  in- 
geniously devised  and  skilfully  performed  by  two  capital 
actresses,  for  the  purpose  of  swindling  me  out  of  the 
jewel ! 

A  day  or  two  after  the  adventure  of  the  breastpin,  my 
landlord  represented  to  me,  with  much  gravity,  that  I  had 
been  living  with  him  above  a  fortnight,  had  not  paid  a 
cent  towards  my  board,  and,  so  far  as  he  could  see,  there 
was  no  prospect  that  I  ever  would  pay  any.  This  state  of 
things,  I  must  be  sensible,  could  not  last  forever. 

I  told  him,  in  reply,  that  I  was  every  day  becoming  more 
able  to  do  a  seaman's  duty ;  that,  as  he  well  knew,  I  had  tried 
to  find  a  berth  in  a  coaster,  but  none  was  to  be  had  ;  that 
I  was  confident  I  should  at  some  future  time  pay  him,  princi- 
pal and  interest,  for  all  his  expense  and  trouble,  and  he  might 
rely  on  my  promise. 

Hansen  rejoined,  with  a  derisive  smile,  that  it  was  not 
his  custom  to  give  credit,  or  rely  upon  promises ;  that  I 
must  find  something  to  do,  or  he  should  be  compelled  to 
turn  me  out  of  his  house  !  "  Did  you  ever  do  any  thing 
but  go  to  sea  ?  "  he  asked,  abruptly. 

"O,  yes,"  said  I,  "I  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and 
understand  all  kinds  of  fanning  work." 


192  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLK. 

"  If  that's  the  case,"  continued  he,  "  your  business  is 
done.  There  are  fine  farms  in  Brooklyn,  within  sight  of 
the  ferry.  All  our  best  vegetables  and  fruit  are  raised  on 
those  farms.  It  is  now  the  spring  of  the  year,  when  farm 
laborers  are  wanted.  You  had  better  go  over  to  Brooklyn 
and  find  work  on  a  farm." 

"  That  I'll  do  with  pleasure,"  said  I ;  but  "  I  have  no 
money  to  pay  my  fare  over  the  ferry." 

"  Never  mind,  I'll  lend  you  a  couple  of  sixpences,  and 
charge  them  in  your  account.  You  had  better  go  to- 
morrow, and  take  the  whole  day  before  you."  Accordingly 
on  the  following  day  I  started  for  Long  Island  in  quest  of 
work,  as  a  day  laborer  on  a  farm. 

At  that  time  Brooklyn  was  not,  as  now,  a  large,  popu- 
lous, and  thriving  city.  It  was  a  small,  sparsely-settled 
village ;  and  the  vast  extent  of  land  which  is  now  laid  out 
in  streets  and  squares,  and  covered  with  costly  edifices, 
was  then  improved  for  gardens,  orchards,  and  farms.  I 
landed  from  the  ferry  boat  and  took  my  way  along  the 
public  highway  which  led  towards  the  interior  of  the 
island.  The  rural  aspect  of  a  cultivated  country,  after 
having  my  view  confined  for  many  months  to  salt  water 
and  the  unseemly  masses  of  brick  and  mortar  called  cities, 
gladdened  my  heart;  and  I  determined,  in  a  spirit  of  true 
philosophy,  to  give  vain  cares  and  regrets  to  the  wind,  and 
pass  one  pleasant  day  in  rambling  about  that  agricultural 
district. 

My  efforts  to  obtain  employment  were  not  attended  with 
success.  My  sailor  costume,  my  pale  features,  and  my 
constitutional  diffidence,  which  has  always  been  a  drag  in 
my  efforts  to  press  forward  in  the  world,  served  me  not  as 
a  letter  of  recommendation  among  the  shrewd  and  money- 
making  farmers  and  gardeners  of  Long  Island.  Indeed, 
to  my  mortification,  I  found  that  a  blue  jacket  and  loose 
trousers,  when  worn  by  a  weather-beaten  or  bronzed- 
visaged  wayfarer,  were  looked  'upon  as  prirna  facie  evi- 


ADRIFT    IN    NEW    YOBK.  193 

dence  that  "  he  was  no  better  than  he  should  be."  One  of 
the  fanners  to  whom  I  applied,  after  questioning  me  about 
my  ability  to  work  on  a  farm,  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  did  not  require  any  additional  help ;  another  wanted  a 
hand,  but  I  was  not  stout  enough  for  his  purpose ;  a  third 
expressed  a  belief  that  I  was  an  impostor,  and  knew  noth- 
ing about  farming  work ;  and  a  fourth,  after  cross-question- 
ing me  until  I  felt  assured  he  was  satisfied  with  my 
character  and  capacity,  graciously  informed  me  I  might 
stay  a  week  or  so  on  trial,  and  if  I  worked  well  perhaps 
he  would  give  me  my  board  through  the  summer!  My 
case  was  a  desperate  one,  and  I  might  have  acceded  to  his 
proposal  if  he  had  not  unguardedly  added  that  I  should 
have  to  sleep  in  a  cockloft  in  the  shed !  And  thus  I 
wandered  about  that  part  of  the  island  the  whole  day,  and 
returned  to  my  boarding  house  towards  dark,  fatigued, 
hungry,  and  unsuccessful.  I  told  Hansen  the  result  of  my 
day's  labor.  He  looked  disappointed  and  angry. 

"  You  did  not  try  !  "  said  he.  "  I  don't  believe  you  said 
one  word  for  yourself.  There  is  one  more  shilling  gone 
for  nothing.  But  you  must  pretty  quick  find  something 
to  do." 

The  next  day,  when  I  returned  home  after  my  daily 
jaunt  around  the  wharves  in  search  of  employment,  Han- 
sen  met  me  with  a  smile,  and  introduced  me  to  Stephen 
Schmidt,  a  thickset  Dutchman,  with  little  gray  eyes,  and 
capacious  cheeks,  of  a  color  which  proved  he  was  a  dear 
lover  of  schnapps.  Schmidt  claimed  to  be  a  native  of 
Hudson ;  his  ancestors  were  Dutch,  and  Dutch  was  the 
sole  language  of  his  early  days.  He  had  been  several 
years  employed  in  the  Xorth  River  sloops,  but  for  the  last 
six  months  had  been  in  a  coaster.  Wearied  of  this  kind 
of  life  and  afraid  of  impressment,  as  his  English  pro- 
nunciation was  strongly  tinctured  with  the  gutturals  of  a 
genuine  Knickerbocker,  and  British  ships-of-war  swarmed 
along  our  coast,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  return  to  his 

17 


194 


JACK   IN    THE    FOEECASTLE. 


home  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  and  try  his  hand  at 
cultivating  cabbages  and  manufacturing  sauer  kraut!  A 
man  was  wanted  in  his  place  on  board  the  coasting  vessel, 
and  Hansen  had  persuaded  Schmidt  to  use  his  influence 
with  the  captain  to  procure  me  the  enviable  situation. 

I  cared  not  a  rush  what  kind  of  vessel  this  coaster  was, 
whether  old  or  new ;  bound  on  a  cruise  to  New  Orleans 
or  Baffin's  Bay ;  nor  did  I  care  whether  the  captain  was  a 
gentleman  or  a  clown  ;  a  worthy  man  or  an  ignorant  bully. 
I  was  anxious  to  obtain  the  vacant  situation,  and  feared 
that  the  captain,  following  the  fashion  of  the  Long  Island 
farmers,  would  not  like  the  cut  of  my  jih£  I  learned, 
however,  that  the  schooner  was  a  comfortable  vessel,  about 
a  hundred  tons  burden,  called  the  Mary,  belonging  to 
Newbern  in  North  Carolina.  The  name  of  the  captain 
was  Thompson.  The  schooner  was  taking  in  cargo  for 
Newbern,  and  would  soon  be  ready  for  sea.  Towards 
evening  I  accompanied  Schmidt  to  the  wharf  where  the 
Mary  lay,  and  went  on  board,  my  bosom  agitated  with 
hopes  and  fears.  The  captain  was  on  deck,  a  sturdy, 
rough-looking  man.  Schmidt  went  boldly  up  to  him. 
"  Captain  Thompson,"  said  he,  "  this  is  the  man  I  spoke 
to  you  about  this  morning  to  take  my  place." 

"  This  the  man  ?  "  said  the  captain,  abruptly.  "  Why, 
this  is  a  boy !  He's  lame,  too,  and  looks  sickly.  He  will 
never  do  for  me ! " 

It  was  time  for  me  to  speak ;  and  I  made  a  bold  effort 
to  overcome  my  diffidence.  "Sir,"  said  I,  "a  few  months 
ago  I  had  the  misfortune  to  break  my  leg  in  Liverpool,  and 
was  sent  home  by  the  American  consul.  The  limb  is 
nearly  well ;  but  I  don't  feel  able  to  ship  in  a  square-rigged 
vessel.  But,  sir,  I  am  in  good  health ;  I  want  employ- 
ment ;  I  can  do  as  good  a  day's  work  as  any  man  on  board 
your  schooner.  You  will  find  me  active,  industrious,  and 
faithful.  You  may  rely  on  it,  sir,  you  will  never  have 
cause  to  repent  giving  me  the  berth." 


ADRIFT    IN   XEW   TOEK.  1S5 

Captain  Thompson  eyed  me  sharply  a  few  moments 
without  saying  a  word.  After  he  had  completed  the  ex- 
amination of  my  person,  he  mildly  inquired,  "How  much 
wages  do  you  expect  ?  " 

"  Whatever  you  may  think  I  am  worth,  sir,"  said  I.  "I 
owe  my  landlord  for  three  weeks  board  ;  but  he  will  have 
to  trust  me  for  a  part  of  it  until  I  come  back  to  New 
York.  I  am  but  poorly  off  for  clothes,  but  that  is  of  no 
consequence  ;  summer  is  coming." 

"•You  seem  to  be  in  a  tight  place,  young  man,"  said 
the  kind-hearted  captain.  "Come  on  board  with  your 
rattletraps  to-morrow.  I'll  soon  find  out  what  you  are 
made  of." 

I  returned  home  with  a  light  heart,  and  rejoiced  Hansen 
with  the  intelligence  that  I  had  become  one  of  the  crew 
of  the  Mary.  I  promised  him  every  cent  of  my  ad- 
vance wages.  With  this  he  was  obliged  to  be  con- 
tent, but  declared  his  intention  to  keep  my  chest,  my 
books,  and  other  articles  of  trifling  value,  as  security  for 
the  remainder  of  my  board.  To  this  I  made  no  objection, 
thinking  it  reasonable  enough.  But  Captain  Thompson, 
the  next  day,  when  I  received  my  half  month's  pay  in  ad- 
vance, and  informed  him  of  my  arrangements,  called  me  a 
fool,  and  inveighed  in  bitter  terms  against  the  whole  race 
of  sailor  landlords. 

I  took  nothing  with  me  on  board  the  Mary  but  a  change 
of  clothing  and  a  few  articles  of  trifling  value,  packed  in 
an  old  pillow-case,  loaned  me  by  my  landlady,  with  strict 
injunctions  to  return  it  if  I  ever  came  back  to  New  York. 
I  was  overjoyed  to  think  I  had  found  employment,  and 
could  gain  a  subsistence  by  my  own  labors.  I  w'as  sure  of 
a  home  for  a  few  weeks,  until  I  should  recover  from  the 
effects  of  my  mishap,  when  I  hoped  to  be  above  the  ne- 
cessity of  asking  favors. 

The  mate,  whose  name  was  Pierce,  received  me  in  a 
surly  manner.  He  Evidently  thought  Captain  Thompson 


196  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

did  a  foolish  act  in  shipping  such  "  a  useless  piece  of  lum- 
ber" as  myself.  The  crew,  however,  gave  me  a  hearty 
reception,  which  placed  me  at  my  ease.  I  found  the  crew 
to  consist  of  two  young  men,  not  much  older  than  myself, 
and  a  negro  boy.  The  two  men  were  swarthy  sons  of 
North  Carolina,  born  near  Cape  Hatteras ;  good-hearted, 
ignorant,  lazy,  careless  fellows,  who  liked  good  living  and 
clear  comfort  better  than  hard  work.  The  cook  was  of 
the  genuine  African  type ;  and  when  not  employed  in 
serious  work  about  the  carnboose,  was  throwing  oft"  the  ex- 
uberance of  his  good  humor  in  peals  of  laughter.  Taken 
together,  they  were  a  set  of  jolly  fellows,  and  I  rejoiced 
that  my  lot  was  cast  among  them.  My  spirits,  which  had 
been  below  zero  for  some  time,  in  spite  of  my  philosophy, 
took  a  sudden  rise  immediately,  notwithstanding  the  sullen 
humor  of  the  mate,  who,  like  Cassius,  had  "a  lean  and 
hungry  look,"  and  never  even  indulged  in  a  smile.  He 
manifested  a  singular  antipathy  towards  me  in  all  his 
acts. 

Some  animals  seem  to  have  a  bitter  hatred  against  those 
of  their  own  kind  which  are  the  victims  of  accident  or 
misfortune.  A  wolf,  wounded  by  hunters,  is  torn  in  pieces 
by  the  pack ;  and  a  porpoise,  if  struck  and  mangled  by  a 
harpoon,  is  pursued  by  the  whole  shoal,  and  put  to  death 
without  mercy.  We  sometimes  find  human  beings  pos- 
sessed of  such  savage  attributes.  They  pay  court  to 
wealth  and  power,  but  when  they  find  a  fellow-being 
stricken  to  the  earth  by  misfortune  or  sickness,  imbibe  a 
prejudice  against  him,  and  instead  of  stretching  forth  a 
kind  and  open  hand  to  relieve,  will  be  more  likely  to  shake 
a  clinched  fist  in  his  face. 


SCHOONEB   MART   OF   NEWBERN.  197 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

SCHOONER     MARY     OF     KTEWBEEM". 


cast  loose  from  the  wharf  the  following  day,  about 
the  20th  of  April,  1812,  and  proceeded  down  the  har- 
bor. But  the  wind  coming  from  the  eastward,  we  an- 
chored above  the  Xarrows.  I  was  soon  convinced  that 
Captain  Thompson  was  no  driver.  Although  originally  a 
Massachusetts  man,  he  had  lived  long  enough  in  southern 
climates  to  acquire  indolent  habits.  When  the  wind  was 
ahead,  if  on  anchorage  ground,  he  would  let  go  an  anchor, 
rather  than  take  the  trouble  of  beating  to  windward  for 
what  he  considered  the  trifling  object  of  saving  a  day  or 
two  in  the  passage  !  "  Have  patience  and  the  wind  will 
change,"  was  his  motto.  He  was  not  the  only  shipmaster 
I  have  met  with  \vho  was  in  the  habit  of  looking  after  his 
own  comfort  as  well  as  the  interest  of  his  employer. 

The  wind  was  favorable  the  next  day,  and  we  glided 
past  Sandy  Hook  and  entered  on  the  broad  ocean.  Away 
we  went  to  the  southward  with  the  wind  abeam,  blowing 
a  strong  breeze  from  the  westward.  The  captain  took  the 
helm,  and  all  hands  were  employed  in  clearing  the  decks 
and  putting  things  in  order;  Mr.  Pierce  being  particularly 
active  in  the  work,  saying  but  little,  and  looking  unusually 
solemn. 

I  was  on  the  weather  side  of  the  main  deck,  securing 
the  lashings  of  the  long-boat,  when  I  heard  a  splash  in  the 
water  to  leeward  ;  at  the  same  moment  the  cook  shouted 
out,  with  all  the  power  of  his  African  lungs,  "  Goramit  y  ! 
Mr.  Pierce  is  fell  overboard  !  " 

"  The  mate  is  overboard  !  The  mate  is  overboard  !  "  was 
now  the  cry  from  every  mouth. 

"  Hard-a-lee  !  "  screamed  the  skipper,  and  at  the  same 
17* 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

instant  executed  the  order  himself  by  jamming  the  tiller 
hard  down  to  leeward.  "Haul  the  fore  sheet  to  wind- 
ward !  Clear  away  the  long-boat !  Be  handy,  lads  !  We'll 
save  the  poor  fellow  yet." 

And  then  the  captain  shouted  to  the  unfortunate  man, 
as  he  was  seen  not  far  off  in  the  wake,  "Be  of  good 
cheer !  Keep  your  head  up  !  No  danger !  We'll  soon  be 
alongside ! " 

I  seized  the  cook's  axe  and  cut  away  the  lashings  of  the 
boat,  and  in  a  space  of  time  incredibly  brief,  the  boat  was 
lifted  from  the  chocks  by  main  strength  and  launched  over 
the  side.  We  were  about  to  shove  off  to  the  struggling 
mate,  when  Captain  Thompson,  who  had  not  taken  his  eyes 
from  the  man  after  he  had  fallen  overboard,  and  kept 
making  signs  and  giving  him  words  of  encouragement,  ex- 
claimed, in  a  mournful  tone,  "  Avast  there  with  the  boat ! 
'Tis  no  use.  He's  gone  —  he's  sunk,  and  out  of  sight. 
We  shall  never  see  him  again !  Poor  fellow  —  poor  fel- 
low !  May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  him ! " 

It  appeared  that  Mr.  Pierce  had  stepped  on  the  lee  gun- 
wale for  the  purpose  of  grasping  a  rope  that  was  loose. 
His  left  hand  was  on  one  of  the  main  shrouds,  when  a 
sudden  lurch  disengaged  his  grasp  and  precipitated  him 
into  the  water.  He  was  not  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
schooner  when  he  disappeared.  Whether  his  body  struck 
against  the  side  of  the  vessel  as  he  fell  and  he  was  thus 
deprived  of  the  full  use  of  his  limbs,  whether  he  was 
panic-struck  at  the  fate  which  appeared  to  await  him,  or 
unable  to  swim,  we  could  never  learn.  The  simple,  solemn 
fact,  however,  was  before  us  in  all  its  terrible  significance. 
The  man  who,  a  few  moments  before,  stood  on  the  deck  of 
the  schooner  Mary,  strong,  healthy,  and  in  the  meridian 
of  life,  was  no  longer  with  us.  He  was  removed  without 
warning ;  buried  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean ;  cut  off  by 
some  mysterious  agency, 

"  and  sent  to  his  account 
With  all  his  imperfections  on  his  head." 


OF  XKY»'EI:K>*.  lir.j 

>n  after  this  sad  accident,  when  we  had  taken  in  the 
long-boat,  trimmed  the  sails,  and  were  pursuing  our  way 
towards  Cape  Hatteras,  the  captain,  with  a  solemn  look, 
called  me  to  the  helm  and  went  into  the  cabin,  where  he 
undoubtedly  found  consolation  in  the  embrace  of  an  inti- 
mate but  treacherous  friend.  Indeed,  on  his  return  to  the 
deck,  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  I  had  olfactory  demon- 
stration that  he  and  the  brandy  bottle  had  been  in  close 
communion !  Captain  Thompson  had  hardly  spoken  to 
me  since  we  left  the  wharf  in  Xew  York.  He  had  nov 
got  his  "  talking  tacks "  on  board,  and  was  sociable 
enough. 

"  Hawser,"  said  he,  with  a  sigh,  "  this  is  a  serious  and 
sad  thing,  this  death  of  poor  Pierce.  It  might  be  your 
fate  or  mine  at  any  time  as  easily  as  his.  He  was  just 
from  Liverpool,  having  been  shipwrecked  on  the  English 
coast,  and  on  his  way  home  to  Washington,  expecting  to 
see  his  wife  and  children  in  a  fl'W  days.  Poor  fellow  ! 
This  will  be  a  terrible  blow  to  his  family  and  friends. 
His  fate,  so  sudden,  is  enough  to  make  any  man  who  is  a 
man,  think  seriously  of  his  'better  end'  —  of  what  may 
become  of  him  hereafter ! "  Ho  clinched  this  remark, 
which  he  delivered  with  much  energy,  with  an  oath  that 
almost  made  my  hair  stand  on  end,  and  struck  mo  at  the 
time  as  being  singularly  out  of  place  in  that  connection. 

With  another  deep-drawn  sigh  he  dismissed  the  subject, 
and  did  not  again  allude  to  it.  He  spoke  of  the  "em- 
bargo act,"  of  various  ingenious  modes  of  evading  it,  and 
of  the  prospect  of  a  war  with  England ;  and  made  some 
assertion  in  relation  to  proceedings  in  Congress,  which,  in 
r  respectful  manner,  but  to  his  great  astonishment,  I  ven- 
tured to  dispute  on  the  authority  of  a  paragraph  I  had 
seen  in  a  New  York  newspaper  a  few  days  before.  The 
captain,  after  gravely  staring  me  in  the  face  a  moment,  as 
much  ns  to  say,  "  What  do  you  know  about  newspapers  ;  r 
politics  ?  "  inquired  the  name  of  the  newspaper  I  was  talk- 
ing about. 


200  JACK  IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

I  mentioned  the  name  of  the  paper.  "  Well,"  said  he, 
u  I  have  that  paper,  with  others,  in  a  bundle  in  the  cabin 
—  so  that  matter  can  be  soon  settled." 

Down  he  went  into  the  cabin,  leaving  me  not  a  littlo 
alarmed  at  his  conduct.  Thinks  I  to  myself,  "  Can  he  be 
offended  because  a  vagabond  like  myself  has  dared  to 
differ  with  him  on  a  question  of  fact?" 

He  soon  appeared  on  deck  with  a  large  bundle  of  news- 
papers, which  he  put  into  my  hands,  at  the  same  time 
taking  possession  of  the  tiller.  "  There,"  said  he,  "  find 
the  newspaper  you  were  speaking  of,  and  pick  out  the 
paragraph,  if  you  can" 

From  my  earliest  boyhood  I  had  manifested  a  strong 
attachment  for  newspapers.  It  may  have  been  that,  not 
finding  other  means  to  gratify  my  thirst  for  reading,  I  read 
every  newspaper  that  came  in  my  way;  and  as  I  was 
blessed  with  a  good  memory,  I  always  kept  tolerably  well 
posted  in  regard  to  the  current  news  of  the  day.  I  opened 
the  bundle  and  promptly  singled  out  the  newspaper  in 
question,  and  pointing  to  a  paragraph  with  my  finger,  said, 
*»  There,  sir,  you  may  see  for  yourself." 

The  captain  seemed  astonished.  Ho  did  not  take  the 
paper  from  my  hands.  "My  eyes,"  said  he,  "are  not 
good ;  they  are  weak,  and  it  troubles  me  to  read.  Let 
me  hear  you  read  it." 

I  read  the  paragraph  accordingly.  The  captain,  mean- 
while, fixed  his  eyes,  which  exhibited  no  signs  of  weak- 
ness, upon  me  with  an  earnest  expression.  When  I 
finished  reading  he  nodded  his  head  and  mused  a  few  mo- 
ments in  silence,  then  hastily  surrendered  the  tiller,  bun- 
dled up  the  newspapers,  and  vanished  down  the  com- 
panion-way. 

"  What  does  this  bodo  ?  "  thought  I  to  myself.  "  The 
man  is  evidently  angry.  I  acted  liko  a  fool  to  question 
any  thing  he  said,  however  absurd."  I  did  Captain 
Thompson  injustice.  He  was  not  long  absent,  but  soon 


SCHOONER   MAEY    OF   NKWBERX.  201 

came  up  the  steps,  bringing  a  sack-bottomed  chair  in  one 
hand  and  a  suspicious-looking  pamphlet  in  the  other.  He 
placed  the  chair  in  front  of  the  tiller. 

"  Hawser,"  said  he,  "  sit  down  in  that  chair,  and  take 
this  pamphlet,  which  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  books 
that  was  ever  laid  before  a  wicked  world.  The  author 
shows  by  figures,  facts,  and  calculations  that  the  world 
will  be  destroyed  on  the  12th  of  June.  Good  Lord  ! 
the  time  is  close  at  hand.  I  have  not  read  the  book ;  my 
eyes  trouble  me  too  much  —  besides,  I  have  not  had  time. 
But  I  have  heard  much  about  it,  and  received  orders,  when 
I  left  Newbern  for  New  York,  to  bring  back  a  dozen  copies 
to  enlighten  the  poor  creatures  on  their  fate.  Sit  right 
down,  Hawser,  I  tell  you,  and  go  to  work.  I'll  steer  the 
schooner  while  you  read." 

I  obeyed  orders,  as  was  my  custom ;  and  a  curious  pic- 
ture we  must  have  presented,  the  captain  steering  the 
schooner  and  listening  with  greedy  ears  to  every  word 
which  fell  from  my  lips,  as,  seated  directly  fronting  him, 
my  back  supported  by  the  binnacle,  I  read  in  a  clear  and 
distinct  voice,  and  with  due  emphasis,  the  crude  absurdi- 
ties of  a  crack-brained  religious  enthusiast. 

This  "  wonderful  pamphlet "  was  written  by  a  man 
named  Cochran,  a  resident  of  Richmond,  in  Virginia,  who, 
after  poring  over  the  Book  of  Revelation  for  years,  con- 
vinced himself  that  he  had  obtained  a  clew  to  the  mysteries 
contained  in  the  writings  of  St.  John. 

After  satisfying  himself,  as  he  said,  beyond  question  of 
the  correctness  of  his  views,  he  published  his  pamphlet  of 
some  thirty  or  forty  pages,  notifying  the  public  of  the 
terrible  fact  that  the  day  of  judgment  was  at  hand  ;  and 
predicting  the  day,  and  suggesting  the  hour,  when  the 
world  would  come  to  an  end  !  He  even  went  so  far  as  to 
describe  the  scene  of  destruction,  when  all  the  elements 
would  be  put  in  motion  to  destroy  mankind,  when  vol- 
canoes would  deluge  the  land  with  liquid  fire,  and  earth- 
quakes shake  and  shatter  the  world  to  its  centre ! 


202  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Cochran  claimed  to  prove  all  this  by  his  interpretation 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation ;  by  labored  calculations  based 
upon  arithmetical  principles,  and  algebraic  formula}  until 
then  unknown,  but  which  appeared  mystical  and  appalling 
from  the  fact  that  they  were  incomprehensible.  The  book 
was  written  in  a  style  well  calculated  to  perplex,  astonish, 
or  terrify  his  readers,  especially  those  who  were  not  well 
stocked  with  intelligence.  It  is  therefore  not  remarkable 
that  it  caused  a  commotion  wherever  it  was  circulated. 
The  judgment  day  was  the  topic  of  discourse,  and  per- 
sons of  ungodly  lives  and  conversation  were  led  to  think 
seriously  of  the  error  of  their  ways. 

I  read  the  pamphlet  through,  from  title  page  to  "finis," 
calculations,  figures,  and  all;  and  no  reader  ever  had  a 
more  attentive  listener.  Captain  Thompson  took  the  book 
in  his  hand  after  I  had  got  through,  and  gazed  upon  it 
attentively. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  this  beats  cock-fighting !  The  man 
keeps  a  good  log ;  works  out  his  case  like  a  sailing  master ; 
and  proves  it  by  alphabetic  signs  and  logarithms,  as  clear 
as  a  problem  in  plain  sailing.  This  is  a  great  book ;  a 
tremendous  book !  I  wish  I  had  two  hundred  copies  to 
distribute  among  the  poor,  ignorant  heathens  at  Newbern 
and  Portsmouth.  Won't  it  make  the  folks  stare  like  be- 
wildered porpoises!  Are  you  tired  of  reading,  Hawser?" 

"  No,  sir.    I  will  read  as  long  as  you  wish." 

"  Well,  if  that's  the  case,  I'll  bring  up  the  Bible  from 
the  cabin,  and  you  may  wind  up  with  one  or  two  of  the 
chapters  in  Revelation,  which  are  referred  to  in  the  pam- 
phlet," 

The  Bible  was  brought  up,  and  I  read  to  his  great  grati- 
fication until  about  six  o'clock,  when  the  supper  hour  put 
a  stop  to  our  literary  and  biblical  pursuits.  But  the  fol- 
lowing day,  the  day  after,  every  day,  I  had  to  read  that 
doomsday  pamphlet  whenever  it  was  my  turn  to  take  the 
helm,  and  frequently  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  besides. 


Catching  a  turtle  at  sea.  —  p.  203. 


SCHOONER    MARY    OF    NEWBERX.  203 

One  morning,  as  we  were  slowly  moving  along  with  a 
light  breeze,  on  soundings  between  Cape  Henry  and  Cape 
Hatteras,  a  large  loggerhead  turtle  was  seen  a  short  dis- 
tance to  windward,  motionless,  and  apparently  asleep  on 
the  water.  This  caused  quite  a  sensation  ;  every  man  was 
on  deck  in  a  moment.  The  schooner  was  hove  to,  prepa- 
rations were  making  to  launch  the  boat,  and  the  captain 
was  loudly  calling  for  his  gig,  a  species  of  three-pronged 
harpoon  for  striking  small  fish,  when  one  of  the  crew, 
named  Church,  remonstrated  against  this  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding. 

"  Hold  on,  captain,"  said  he,  "  or  you  will  lose  the  lovely 
crittur.  If  you  go  near  him  in  a  boat  he  will  open  his 
peepers,  and  vanish  as  suddenly  as  an  evil  spirit  sprinkled 
with  holy  water.  But  I  know  a  trick  to  take  him  that 
cannot  fail.  Let  me  have  my  own  way,  and  I'll  catch  that 
lazy,  lubberly  chap,  and  bring  him  alongside,  man  fashion, 
in  no  time  ! " 

Church,  while  making  this  appeal,  had  been  hastily  di- 
vesting himself  of  his  garments,  and  by  the  time  he 
finished  his  remarks,  stood,  en  cuerpo,  on  the  gunwale. 

"  Go  ahead,  my  lad ! "  said  the  captain.  "  But  if  you  let 
that  turtle  slip  through  your  fingers,  don't  you  ever  come 
back  to  the  schooner." 

Church  grinned,  let  himself  gently  into  the  water,  and 
paddled  away  noiselessly  and  swiftly  towards  the  unsus- 
picious reptile,  who  was  lazily  snoozing  in  midday,  with- 
out dreaming  of  danger.  The  sailor  approached  him 
warily  from  behind ;  and  when  sufficiently  near,  grabbed 
the  astonished  animal  by  the  stern  flippers,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Hurrah,  the  day's  our  own,  boys !  Captain,  I've  got  a 
prize.  Run  up  the  stripes  and  stars.  Turtle  steaks  for- 
ever !  Victory,  hurrah !  " 

The  turtle,  although  taken  at  disadvantage,  did  not  at 
once  "give  up  the  ship."  He  struggled  manfully  for  that 
liberty  which  is  the  birthright  of  every  living  creature-, 


204  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  go  down,  knowing  in- 
tuitively that  his  captor  would  not  dare  follow  him  to  the 
depths  below.  But  whenever  he  attempted  to  dive,  Church 
threw  the  whole  weight  of  his  body  on  the  stern  flippers, 
and  thus  prevented  him  from  executing  that  manoeuvre. 
After  being  foiled  in  this  manner  two  or  three  times  his 
turtleship  seemed  disposed  to  abandon  this  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding, and  tried  to  paddle  off  with  his  forward  flippers, 
as  if  to  escape  from  the  incumbrance.  Church  was  now 
in  his  glory.  J$y  pulling  one  hind  flipper  and  pushing  the 
other  he  could  guide  the  reptile  in  whatever  direction  he 
pleased,  and  soon  navigated  him  alongside  the  schooner, 
when  a  rope  was  hospitably  put  around  the  neck  of  the 
captive,  and  he  was  hauled  on  board. 

Passing  around  Cape  Hatteras,  between  the  outer  shoals 
and  the  land,  we  arrived  at  Ocracoke  Inlet.  The  wind 
being  ahead,  we  were  unable  to  cross  the  bar,  but  remained 
two  or  three  days  at  anchor  in  its  immediate  vicinity. 
Ocracoke  Inlet  is  the  main  entrance  into  Pamlico  Sound, 
a  large  inlet  or  body  of  water,  some  eighty  miles  long, 
separated  from  the  sea  by  low  sandy  islands,  mostly  in- 
habited. On  this  Sound  are  situated  some  thriving  towns, 
and  into  it  the  rivers  Tar  and  Neuse  empty  their  waters. 
The  little  town  or  village  of  Portsmouth  is  situated  on  an 
island  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Ocracoke  Inlet.  The 
inhabitants,  or  those  who  at  that  time  deigned  to  pursue 
any  regular  occupation,  were  for  the  most  part  engaged  in 
fishing  and  piloting.  The  sand  banks,  shoals,  and  flats  in 
that  neighborhood  furnish  admirable  facilities  for  seine 
fisheries,  and  enormous  quantities  of  mullets  were  taken 
every  year  on  those  sandy  shores,  packed  in  barrels,  and 
sent  to  the  West  Indies. 

There  was  also  at  that  time  carried  on  with  considerable 
success,  a  porpoise  fishery,  after  a  fashion  peculiar,  I  be- 
lieve, to  that  part  of  the  world.  Porpoises  often  made 
their  appearance,  very  near  the  coast,  in  shoals  —  not 


SCHOOXER    MARY    OF    XEWBERN.  205 

"  schools,"  for  porpoises  are  uneducated  —  some  hundreds 
in  number.  They  were  surrounded  by  boats  and  driven 
into  shallow  water.  When  sufficiently  near  the  land,  a 
strong  seine  was  cautiously  drawn  around  them  and  they 
were  slowly  but  surely  dragged  to  the  beach :  the  blubber 
was  stripped  from  their  carcasses  and  converted  into  oil. 
Sometimes  a  shark  was  found  in  their  company,  who,  dis- 
daining to  be  so  easily  subdued,  performed  wondrous  feats 
of  strength  and  ferocity, — biting  and  maiming  the  inoffen- 
sive porpoises  without  mercy,  and  in  most  cases  rending 
the  seine  by  his  enormous  power,  and  escaping  from  his 
persecutors. 

When  lying  at  Ocracoke,  waiting  for  a  chance  over 
"the  Swash,"  the  crew  of  the  Mary  having  little  to  do,  were 
generally  engaged  in  looking  after  their  physical  comforts 
by  laying  in  a  stock  of  shell-fish.  Oysters  were  found  in 
abundance  all  along  shore,  and  of  excellent  quality;  also 
the  large  clam  known  as  the  quahaug,  which  when  prop- 
erly cooked  and  divested  of  its  toughness  is  capital  food  ; 
crabs,  of  delicate  flavor  and  respectable  size,  were  taken  in 
hand-nets  in  any  quantity;  and  flounders,  mullets,  and 
drum-fish  were  captured  with  little  trouble.  Ducks  and 
teal,  and  other  kinds  of  water  fowl,  abounded  in  the  creeks 
and  coves. 

The  staple  articles  of  food  on  board  the  Mary  consisted 
of  corn  meal,  molasses,  Carolina  hams  and  middlings,  with 
sweet  lard  and  salt  pork,  in  unstinted  quantities.  As  a 
drink,  instead  of  Oriental  tea  and  West  India  or  manufac- 
tured coffee,  we  were  supplied  with  the  decoction  of  an 
herb  found  in  the  woods  or  swamps  of  the  Carolinas,  and 
generally  known  as  yaupon  tea.  It  was  at  first  insipid,  if 
not  unpalatable,  but  improved  greatly  on  a  more  intimate 
acquaintance. 

In  the  Mary  we  were  stinted  in  nothing  that  could  be 
readily  procured ;  and  having  a  cook  who  prided  himself 
on  his  skill  in  manufacturing  hoe-cakes,  oyster  fritters, 

18 


206  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

clam  chowders,  turtle  stews,  and  the  like,  I  am  free  to 
confess  that  so  far  as  related  to  good  living,  I  never  passed 
three  months  more  satisfactorily  than  while  I  was  on  board 
the  Mary  of  Newbern.  I  often  compared  it  with  my 
wretched  fare  on  board  the  schooner  John,  or  with  my 
"  short  commons  "  in  the  Liverpool  Infirmary,  and  the  re- 
sult was  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  North  Carolina  coaster. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  district  bordering  on  Ocracoke 
Inlet,  as  a  body,  were  not  remarkable  for  industrious  hab- 
its, or  sober  and  exemplary  lives.  Fishing  and  piloting, 
I  have  already  said,  constituted  their  chief  business.  Many, 
being  too  lazy  to  work,  indulged  themselves  in  lounging, 
drinking,  betting,  cock-fighting,  and  similar  amusements. 
One  redeeming  virtue,  however,  they  possessed,  which  is 
not  always  met  with  among  the  sedate,  thrifty,  and  moral 
portion  of  mankind  —  hospitality !  They  were  frank,  open- 
hearted,  and  compassionate;  professed  no  virtues  which 
they  did  not  practise ;  would  throw  open  their  doors  to 
the  stranger,  welcome  him  to  their  dwellings,  and  freely 
share  their  last  dollar  with  a  friend. 

The  news  reached  Portsmouth  by  the  pilot  boat  that 
Captain  Thompson  had  arrived  from  New  York,  and  had 
brought  the  pamphlet  which  proclaimed  the  destruction 
of  the  world.  The  people  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject. The  men  visited  the  schooner  by  scores ;  and  as 
most  of  them  were  unable  to  read,  through  the  infirmities 
of  ignorance  and  "weak  eyes,"  my  literary  powers  were 
put  in  requisition,  and  again  and  again  I  was  compelled  to 
read  aloud,  for  their  edification,  the  conglomeration  of  ab- 
surdities which  the  prophet  had  put  forth.  They  listened 
with  attention ;  and  it  was  amusing  to  hear  their  strange 
remarks  and  queer  logic  in  favor  of  or  against  the  predic- 
tion. The  effect  upon  the  minds  of  some  of  these  chil- 
dren of  the  sandy  isles  was  undoubtedly  beneficial.  It 
led  them  to  think;  it  brought  the  Bible  directly  before 
them,  and  reminded  them  that  whether  the  pamphlet  was 
true  or  false  a  day  of  judgment  was  at  hand. 


SCHOOXER   MARY    OF    XEWBERN.  207 

The  wind  having  changed,  we  crossed  "the  Swash," 
entered  the  Sound,  and  soon  reached  the  month  of  the 
River  Xeuse.  This  is  a  stream  of  considerable  importance, 
being  four  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  draining  a  large 
tract  of  country.  It  is  navigable  for  boats  about  one  half 
that  distance.  An  immense  quantity  of  produce  is  brought 
down  the  river  from  the  interior  of  the  state  and  deposited 
at  Xewbern,  whence  it  is  shipped  to  different  parts  of  the 
world. 

Xewbern  is  situated  about  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  Pam- 
lico  Sound,  on  the  south-west  bank  of  the  Neuse,  and  at 
the  junction  of  that  river  with  the  Trent.  It  was,  in  1812, 
a  pleasant  and  flourishing  town,  containing  about  three 
thousand  inhabitants,  who  earned  on  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness to  the  West  Indies,  and  who  employed  many  vessels 
in  the  coasting  trade. 

On  reaching  Newbern  the  crew  were  discharged,  the 
voyage  being  terminated.  Captain  Thompson  told  me 
that  the  schooner  would  be  sent  on  another  voyage  with- 
out delay,  and  if  I  was  willing  to  remain  and  take  charge 
of  her  at  the  wharf,  keep  an  account  of  the  cargo  as  it  was 
delivered  and  received  on  board,  I  should  be  allowed  the 
same  wages  I  had  been  receiving,  —  eight  or  ten  dollars  a 
month.  I  accepted  the  proposition  without  hesitation. 
Indeed,  the  arrangement  was  to  the  advantage  of  both 
parties  ;  he  secured  at  a  low  rate  of  compensation  the 
services  of  one  who  could  perform  the  duties  of  ship- 
keeper  and  mate  combined,  and  I  was  provided  with  an 
asylum,  —  board,  lodging,  plenty  of  work,  and  pay  into  the 
bargain. 


208  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

A     TRIP     TO     BALTIMORE. 

WHEN  we  arrived  at  Newbern,  the  people,  having  heard 
of  the  dreadful  prophecies,  were  prepared  to  receive  the 
pamphlets  and  devour  their  contents.  Cochran's  name, 
connected  with  the  day  of  judgment,  was  in  every  mouth. 
Groups  collected  at  the  corners  of  the  streets  and  on  the 
wharves,  composed  of  persons  of  various  characters  and 
all  complexions,  and  discussed  the  subject  of  the  prediction 
with  wonderful  earnestness  and  intensity  of  feeling.  In- 
deed, the  excitement  in  Newbern  and  vicinity,  caused  by 
this  pamphlet,  was  hardly  exceeded  in  sober  New  England 
in  1839  and  1840,  when  the  charlatan,  Miller,  by  his  ridicu- 
lous predictions,  spread  a  panic  through  the  land ;  when 
many  persons,  discarding  the  modicum  of  brains  they  were 
supposed  to  possess,  abandoned  their  farms,  neglected 
their  families,  gave  away  to  wiser  persons  the  little  prop- 
erty they  owned,  and  actually  prepared  their  "  ascension 
robes,"  to  meet  with  decency  and  decorum  the  day  of 
doom. 

On  the  second  day  after  our  arrival  at  Newbern,  when 
I  had  finished  my  labors  for  the  day  and  was  preparing  for 
rest,  Captain  Thompson  came  hurriedly  down  the  wharf 
and  sprang  on  board  the  schooner.  "  Hawser,"  said  he,  as 
soon  as  he  recovered  breath,  "  you  must  rig  yourself  up  a 
little  and  go  with  me  to  Captain  Merritt's." 

"What  is  going  on  there,  sir,  that  requires  my  pres- 
ence?" 

"The  boarders  want  you  to  read  Cochran's  pamphlet, 
and  you  rmist  come." 

"  But  I  have  no  suitable  clothes  to  rig  myself  up  with, 
sir." 


A    TRIP    TO    BALTIMORE.  209 

"  Never  mind  your  clothes.  Wash  your  face,  comb  your 
hair,  straighten  up  your  collar,  look  in  the  glass,  and  you 
will  do  well  enough.  But  bear  a  hand.  They  are  waiting 
for  you  now." 

I  arranged  my  toilet  in  accordance  with  the  captain's 
suggestions.  When  I  gave  it  the  finishing  touch,  by  "look- 
ing in  the  glass,"  I  was  not  satisfied,  believing  my  costume 
could  hardly  reflect  honor  on  the  company ;  and  my  heart 
throbbed  with  emotion  as  I  accompanied  Captain  Thomp- 
son to  his  boarding  house.  We  entered  the  dining  hall, 
the  centre  of  which  was  occupied  by  a  long  table,  around 
which  were  seated  some  fifteen  or  twenty  well-dressed  in- 
dividuals, chiefly  masters  of  vessels,  and  very  different  in 
their  appearance  and  manner  from  the  Ocracoke  pilots. 
At  the  head  of  the  table  was  an  empty  chair,  towards 
which  I  was  led  by  my  conductor,  who  told  me  to  be 
seated. 

Naturally  bashful,  and  conscious  of  my  inferior  position, 
I  hardly  knew  whether  I  was  asleep  or  awake;  but  was 
soon  restored  to  my  senses  by  Captain  Thompson,  who 
said,  in  an  off-hand  manner,  "Hawser,  these  gentlemen  are 
anxious  to  hear  you  read  Cochran's  pamphlet,  which  tells 
about  the  judgment  day;"  and  he  pushed  towards  me  a 
copy  of  the  prediction. 

I  took  the  familiar  document  and  commenced  my  labors. 
My  voice  was  tremulous  at  first,  but  I  soon  became  accus- 
tomed to  its  sound ;  and  as,  by  this  time,  I  knew  the  greater 
portion  of  the  book  by  heart,  I  got  through  the  tissue  of 
extravagance  with  great  credit,  not  only  to  the  prophet 
Cochran  but  myself. 

My  auditoi%s  listened  with  the  closest  attention,  hardly 
seeming  to  breathe,  and  it  was  curious  to  mark  the  various 
expressions  which  their  tell-tale  countenances  exhibited  as 
I  proceeded.  After  I  had  completed  my  task,  the  gentle- 
men breathed  more  freely,  and  stared  at  one  another  in 
silence.  One  or  two  were  inclined  to  treat  the  prediction 

18* 


JACK    IN    TUB   FORECASTLE. 

with  levity,  but  their  remarks  were  not  well  received.  It 
was  generally  conceded  that  the  subject  was  not  a  proper 
one  for  a  joke.  I  received  the  thanks  of  several  of  my 
auditors  for  the  acceptable  manner  in  which  I  had  per- 
formed my  part  in  the  drama.  A  few  evenings  after- 
wards I  was  again  called  upon  to  lay  the  contents  of  this 
everlasting  pamphlet  before  another  set  of  eager  listeners ! 
and  I  rejoiced  when,  with  a  full  cargo  of  naval  stores  and 
Carolina  notions,  the  schooner  left  the  wharf,  bound  on  a 
voyage  to  Baltimore. 

On  reaching  Ocracoke  Inlet,  it  appeared  that  the  im- 
pression which  the  predictions  of  Cochran  had  made  upon 
the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  was  not  effaced.  We  lay 
at  anchor  there  three  days  waiting  for  a  wind  to  cross  the 
bar,  and  every  evening  I  was  called  upon  to  read  chapters 
in  the  Bible  for  the  edification  of  the  worthy  Ocracoke 
pilots,  who  probably  had  not  heard  a  chapter  of  Scripture 
recited  for  years.  The  prophecy  had  taken  a  deep  hold 
on  the  minds  of  some ;  and  ribald  jests  and  disgusting 
oaths  were  seldom  heard  in  the  neighborhood  of  "the 
Swash." 

I  was  treated  with  kindness  by  Captain  Thompson,  and 
performed  many  of  the  duties  of  mate  without  occupying 
the  station  or  receiving  the  pay.  On  the  passage  to  Balti- 
more the  captain  exhibited  occasional  symptoms  of  piety, 
and  at  one  time  would  listen  to  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  with 
commendable  gravity,  and  discourse  seriously  on  serious 
subjects;  half  an  hour  afterwards  he  would  resume  his 
profane  and  disorderly  habits,  and  chase  away  reflection 
by  getting  drunk!  He  was  not  at  peace  with  himself; 
and  he  dearly  loved  whiskey  and  peach  brandy. 

It  was  a  pleasant  season  of  the  year,  and  the  trip  to 
Baltimore,  through  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  Buy,  was 
an  interesting  one.  I  expected  to  find  in  Baltimore  a  dis- 
tant relative,  who  had  often  visited  my  father's  house ;  been 
for  a  time  domiciled  in  his  family,  and  had  received  re- 


A    TRIP    TO    BALTIMORE.  211 

peated  favors.  He  was  now  in  a  respectable  position  in 
Baltimore,  and  in  the  simplicity  of  my  heart  I  longed  to 
visit  him,  talk  with  him  over  family  matters,  and  listen  to 
words  of  advice  and  encouragement  from  a  friend  and 
relative. 

We  arrived  at  Baltimore  on  a  Friday  afternoon.  I  had 
spoken  to  Captain  Thompson  about  my  relative  and  my 
anticipations  of  a  cordial  welcome.  His  experience,  how- 
ever, had  led  him  to  entertain  an  unfavorable  opinion  of 
mankind  in  general,  and  he  expressed  a  doubt  whether  a 
knowledge  of  my  forlorn  condition  would  not  repel  the 
advances  and  freeze  the  affectionate  welcome  which  under 
other  circumstances  I  might  have  expected.  I  was  indig- 
nant at  such  an  insinuation,  and  made  known  my  inten- 
tion to  call  upon  my  kinsman  the  next  day,  and  put  his 
feelings  to  the  proof.  The  captain  kindly  aided  my  pur- 
pose. He  received  information  from  the  wharfinger  of 
the  place  of  business  and  position  of  my  relative ;  and  on 
the  following  afternoon,  after  making  myself  look  as  re- 
spectable as  possible,  I  proceeded,  with  a  guide  furnished 
by  the  wharfinger,  to  the  counting  room  or  office  of  my 
father's  friend  and  protege  in  a  distant  part  of  the  city. 

I  found  him  alone,  writing  at  his  desk,  and  recognized 
him  immediately.  But  he  stared  at  me,  and  inquired  my 
business.  I  mentioned  my  name;  upon  which  he  seemed 
greatly  astonished,  bade  me  be  seated,  and  questioned  me 
about  myself  and  connections.  I  told  him  the  tale  of  my 
adventures,  gave  him  the  name  of  the  schooner  to  which 
I  belonged,  the  wharf  at  which  she  was  lying,  and  also  of 
the  wharfinger,  one  of  his  intimate  acquaintances,  who  had 
directed  me  to  his  office. 

He  expressed  gratification  that  I  had  called  upon  him, 
said  he  should  always  be  glad  to  hear  of  my  welfare,  and, 
after  a  pause  of  a  few  minutes,  rather  gravely  remarked 
that  he  would  gladly  render  me  any  service  in  his  power; 
but  he  was  at  that  time  busy,  and  requested  me  to  visit 


212  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

him  at  his  boarding  house  the  next  morning  at  nine 
o'clock,  when  he  should  have  leisure  to  talk  with  me  fur- 
ther. I  returned  to  the  schooner  well  satisfied  with  my 
reception,  and  recounted  to  Captain  Thompson  the  partic- 
ulars of  the  interview.  The  captain  shook  his  head,  and 
smiled  incredulously. 

The  next  morning,  being  Sunday,  I  put  myself  in  what 
I  considered  passable  trim,  and  proceeded  with  a  light 
heart  to  the  boarding  house,  which  I  found  to  be  a  hand- 
some edifice  in  a  genteel  part  of  the  city.  I  .knocked  at 
the  door  and  inquired  for  my  kinsman.  The  servant  ush- 
ered me  into  a  hall  and  left  me.  He  was  absent  some  time, 
during  which  I  was  an  object  of  curiosity  to  several  per- 
sons of  both  sexes  who  entered  or  left  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment. One  very  pretty  young  woman  seemed  unpleasant- 
ly struck  with  my  appearance,  and  expressed  in  audible 
tones  her  astonishment  at  my  impertinence  in  entering  the 
front  door.  The  servant  at  length  returned  and  said  the 
gentleman  I  wanted  was  unwell,  and  could  not  be  seen. 

I  was  thunderstruck  at  this  announcement,  and  declared 
it  must  be  a  mistake.  I  bade  him  return  and  tell  the 
gentleman  I  was  the  person  whom  he  requested  to  call 
that  morning  at  nine  o'clock  on  important  business.  Some 
ten  minutes  elapsed;  my  pride  took  the  alarm.  Could 
he  be  inventing  some  paltry  excuse  for  getting  rid  of 
what  he  might  consider  my  importunities?  The  young 
woman  again  appeared  who  had  before  honored  me  with 
her  notice,  and  who  I  presumed  was  the  daughter  of  the 
woman  who  kept  the  house.  She  accosted  me  in  a  man- 
ner by  no  means  flattering  to  my  self-esteem,  and  told  me 
the  gentleman  whom  I  so  absolutely  persisted  in  seeing 
was  quite  unwell,  and  unable  to  converse  with  any  one 
that  day;  that  I  must  come  to-morrow  or  the  day  following, 
or  some  other  day,  when  he  would  be  quite  well  and  at 
leisure !  With  a  contemptuous  toss  of  her  pretty  head,  she 
showed  me  the  door,  and  motioned  me  to  depart. 


A    TEIP    TO    BALTIMORE.  213 

"  Tell  him,"  said  I,  "that  I  shall  not  trouble  him  again." 
She  smiled,  as  if  my  remark  met  her  hearty  approval,  and 
closed  the  door  with  a  slam ! 

I  slowly  returned,  through  the  many  magnificent  thor- 
oughfares of  Baltimore,  to  the  schooner.  The  streets 
were  thronged  with  people  elegantly  dressed,  who  appeared 
to  be  rejoicing  in  their  good  fortune  and  happy  in  their 
friends  and  families.  As  I  pensively  wandered  along, 
unnoticed  and  unknown,  I  felt  all  my  loneliness,  and 
began  to  think  the  prosperous  and  happy  times  would 
never  arrive  that  had  been  promised  in  my  dreams.  The 
conduct  of  my  relative  disappointed  me  much.  It  shook 
my  confidence  in  mankind,  and  paralyzed  my  small  stock 
of  self-esteem  —  a  quality  essential  to  even  ordinary  suc- 
cess in  life. 

Captain  Thompson,  perceiving  my  dejected  air,  inquired 
into  the  particulars  of  my  interview.  I  related  to  him 
the  facts,  but  suggested  excuses,  and  placed  the  matter  in 
as  favorable  a  light  as  the  truth  would  admit.  The  straight- 
forward sailor,  however,  saw  through  it  all.  He  could  not 
contain  his  indignation :  after  letting  it  explode  in  true 
sailor  fashion,  he  concluded  with  this  piece  of  practical 
philosophy :  u  Never  mind,  Hawser ;  'tis  the  way  of  the 
world.  I  have  always  found  it  so.  As  for  gratitude, 
affection,  disinterested  kindness,  and  friendship,  'tis  all  a 
humbug !  RELY  ox  YOURSELF.  Fight  the  battle  of  life 
alone.  If  you  conquer,  you  will  find  friends,  kind  friends, 
disinterested  fiiends.  Ha,  ha,  ha!  Cheer  up,  my  boy." 

I  still  clung  to  a  hope  that  there  was  some  mistake, 
perhaps  a  blunder  on  the  part  of  the  servant  who  deliv- 
ered the  message,  and  that  I  should  receive  a  note  or  a 
visit  the  next  day  which  would  set  the  matter  right. 
But  neither  note  nor  visit  came.  In  a  few  days  the 
schooner  Mary  left  Baltimore  on  the  return  to  Xewbern. 

On  the  passage,  the  captain  was  testy,  petulant,  and 
unhappy.  The  prophecy  of  Cochran  had  taken  a  stronger 


214  JACK   IN"   THE   FORECASTLE. 

hold  on  his  mind  than  he  was  willing  to  acknowledge.  I 
was  called  upon  to  read  aloud  chapters  in  the  Bible,  and 
especially  in  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Knotty  passages 
in  the  pamphlet  I  was  also  required  to  read  from  time  to 
time.  But  the  oftener  they  were  read,  and  the  more 
closely  they  were  examined,  the  greater  was  the  puzzle,  the 
more  complete  the  mystification. 

We  reached  Ocracoke  in  the  evening,  and  the  next 
morning  had  a  fair  wind  over  the  bar  and  across  Pamlico 
Sound.  This  was  the  day  on  which  the  dreaded  predic- 
tion was  to  be  fulfilled.  The  sun  rose  in  a  clear,  unclouded 
sky  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  and  its  beams  flashed 
brilliantly  and  benignly,  as  with  a  gentle  breeze  from  the 
northward  we  entered  the  mouth  of  the  River  Neuse. 
There  could  not  be  a  lovelier  day.  Even  Captain  Thomp- 
son felt  apparently  relieved  of  his  anxiety  as  he  looked 
abroad  upon  the  beauties  of  nature  and  beheld  no  indica- 
tions of  the  day  of  doom.  He  saw  no  anger  in  the 
heavens ;  he  heard  no  moans  from  distressed  animals 
instinctively  snuffing  the  near  approach  of  danger  and 
death  ;  he  breathed  no  stifled  and  sulphureous  atmosphere, 
nor  witnessed  any  other  sign  of  the  near  approach  of  a 
terrible  calamity.  He  even  ventured  to  express  an  opin- 
ion that  "  the  prophecy  of  that  old  rascal  Cochran  would 
not  prove  true  after  all." 

We  reached  Newbern  in  the  afternoon,  and  found  every 
body  gazing  at  the  heavens  with  eager  looks,  in  which  it 
would  be  dificult  to  say  whether  fear  or  curiosity  predom- 
inated. Many  would  not  venture  to  bed  till  their  hopes 
were  made  certain  by  the  striking  of  the  midnight  honr; 
and  then  they  were  so  overjoyed  at  what  appeared  a  new 
lease  of  life,  that  sleep,  that  "sweet  restorer,"  was  a 
stranger  during  the  night.  In  the  morning,  however, 
a  gloom  was  again  cast  over  the  spirits  of  some  of  the 
most  superstitious  by  the  remark  of  a  meddlesome  old 
West  India  captain,  that  undoubtedly  Cochran,  like  the 


A    TRIP   TO   BALTIMORE.  215 

seers  of  olden  times,  made  his  calculations  according  to  the 
"old  style "  of  computing  time.  Thus  twelve  addition;1! 
days  were  allowed  to  pass  before  they  dared  give  a  full 
loose  to  their  joy  at  the  failure  of  the  prediction. 

After  we  had  discharged  our  cargo  in  Xewbern,  I  indi- 
cated to  Captain  Thompson  that  I  should  like  to  pass  a 
few  days  on  shore,  take  a  respite  from  labor,  look  around 
the  town,  and  take  note  of  the  place  and  its  inhabitants. 

He  admitted  the  reasonableness  of  my  proposition,  but 
took  decided  measures  to  prevent  my  being  led  astray  by 
bad  company.  The  worthy  captain,  although  addicted  to 
irregular  habits  himself,  and  in  his  own  person  and  char- 
acter a  dangerous  exemplar  for  a  young  man,  watched  my 
proceedings  with  the  closest  scrutiny,  and  lost  no  chance  to 
impress  on  my  mind  correct  rules  of  conduct.  He  particu- 
larly cautioned  me  against  the  habit  of  drinking  intoxicat- 
ing liquors.  "  It  is,"  said  he  with  a  sigh,  "a  rock  on  Avhich 
many  a  noble  vessel  has  been  wrecked."  So  much  easier 
is  it  to  preach  than  to  practise. 

With  a  view  to  insure  my  moral  safety,  Captain  Thomp- 
son insisted  that  while  I  remained  on  shore  I  should  stay 
at  his  boarding  house  and  occupy  the  same  room  with 
himself.  I  accordingly  took  up  my  quarters  at  Captain 
Merritt's,  where  I  was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  landlord 
and  his  boarders. 

The  impression  made  upon  my  mind  by  the  good  people 
of  Xewbern  was  decidedly  favorable.  I  was  advised,  by 
several  substantial  citizens  to  whom  I  was  introduced,  to 
make  Xewbern  my  home.  I  was  assured  that  I  should 
meet  with  success  corresponding  with  my  merits.  I  regard- 
ed the  suggestion  as  a  compliment ;  and  having  agreed  to 
accompany  Captain  Thompson  on  another  coasting  voyage 
to  New  York,  I  determined  to  take  the  matter  into  con- 
sideration. I  never  returned  to  Xewbern.  But  I  have 
always  felt  grateful  for  the  kind  conduct  and  encoura- 
ging words  which  I  received  from  the  good  people  of  that 


216  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

pleasant  and  flourishing  city.  Ever  since  that  time  tlm 
name  of  Newbern  falls  gently  on  my  ear,  and  conjures 
up  a  thousand  agreeable  associations. 

The  owner  of  the  Mary,  Mr.  Jarvis,  was  an  active  and 
enterprising  man.  He  did  not  allow  his  vessels  to  remain 
idle.  In  a  few  days  we  had  another  cargo  on  board,  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  river  on  our  way  to  New  York.  Being 
detained  as  usual  at  the  Inlet,  several  of  the  pilots  and  other 
inhabitants  of  Portsmouth  came  on  board,  and  the  ribald 
jest,  the  oath,  and  the  dram  cup  passed  freely  round.  Coch- 
ran's  pamphlet  was  consigned  to  oblivion.  I  was  no  longer 
called  upon  to  read  passages  from  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
Solemn  looks  and  serious  conversation  were  voted  a  bore. 
They  laughed  at  their  former  fears ;  a  reaction  had  taken 
place,  and  the  struggle  now  seemed  to  be  who  should  sur- 
pass his  fellows  in  wickedness. 

So  much  for  Cochran's  famous  prediction,  closely  re- 
sembling in  character  that  of  Miller  at  a  later  day,  and 
uttered  with  as  much  confidence  and  believed  by  as  many 
persons.  Moreover,  it  is  probable  that  Cochran  was  as 
sincere  in  his  belief  as  Miller,  perhaps  more  so,  for  the 
miserable  man,  finding  his  imagination  had  played  him  a 
trick,  and  that  his  prediction  had  not  been  fulfilled,  over- 
come by  mortification,  and  not  supported  by  a  pure  reli- 
gious principle,  committed  suicide  by  cutting  his  throat. 

It  is  hardly  worth  while  for  man  to  attempt  to  solve 
mysteries  in  order  to  ascertain  when  the  day  of  judgment 
will  arrive.  He  should  strive  so  to  regulate  his  actions, 
that,  let  it  come  when  it  will,  he  need  not  fear  the  result. 


DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  217 

CHAPTER    XX. 

DECLARATION     OF      WAS. 

ON  our  passage  to  New  York  we  met  with  no  remarka- 
ble occurrence,  and  saw  not  a  cruiser  of  any  nation.  On 
reaching  the  city,  we  found  that  an  extraordinary  excite- 
ment prevailed.  War  had  been  declared  against  Great 
Britain ;  an  American  fleet  under  Commodore  Rodgers  had 
sailed  the  day  before  on  a  cruise.  The  frigate  Essex  was  at 
Brooklyn  with  a  complete  and  gallant  crew,  and  her  com- 
mander, Captain  Porter,  was  making  preparations  for  an 
immediate  departure.  This  brave  officer  made  no  secret 
of  his  intention  to  bring  the  enemy  to  close  quarters  when- 
ever a  chance  offered,  and  proclaimed  throughout  the 
frigate  that  any  man  who  repented  having  shipped  might 
receive  his  discharge. 

One  man  only  of  the  hundreds  composing  the  crew 
availed  himself  of  the  captain's  proclamation,  under  the 
plausible  pretext  that  he  was  an  Englishman.  But  it  hav- 
ing been  ascertained  that  so  far  from  being  a  loyal  subject 
of  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  he  was  a  native-born  Yankee 
with  a  cowardly  spirit,  his  shipmates  were  so  indignant 
that  they  tarred  and  feathered  him,  carried  him  over  to 
New  York,  placed  a  placard  on  his  breast,  formed  a  proces- 
sion, and  paraded  him  through  the  streets. 

There  was  a  great  bustle  about  the  wharves  in  New 
York,  although  of  a  different  kind  from  that  which  pre- 
vailed two  months  previous  in  consequence  of  the  embar- 
go. Clippers  of  all  kinds  and  sizes  were  bought  up  at 
enormous  prices,  and  rapidly  transformed  into  privateers 
and  letters  of  marque.  Heavy  guns,  instead  of  bales  of 
goods,  were  dragged  through  the  streets  by  dray  horses, 
and  muskets,  cutlasses,  and  boarding  pikes  met  the  eye  at 

19 


218  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

every  turn.  Fierce-looking  men  with  juvenile  mustachios 
jostled  each  other  in  the  streets,  and  even  the  dapper  clerks 
and  peaceable  artisans  swore  deeper  oaths  and  assumed 
more  swaggering  airs.  News  of  naval  battles  was 
anxiously  looked  for,  startling  rumors  of  all  kinds  were 
afloat,  and  every  vessel  which  arrived  was  supposed  to 
be  fraught  with  momentous  intelligence  respecting  the 
cruisers  on  the  coast.  I  noted  these  proceedings,  caught 
the  spirit  of  enthusiasm,  and  sympathized  in  the  excite- 
ment which  so  universally  prevailed.  I  told  Captain 
Thompson  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  join  a  privateer. 
To  this  remark  the  worthy  skipper  made  no  reply  but  by 
a  smile,  which  I  interpreted  as  an  approval  of  my  deter- 
mination. 

One  of  rny  first  acts,  however,  was  to  call  on  Hansen,  the 
keeper  of  the  boarding  house  where  I  had  formerly  resided, 
and  discharge  my  debt.  I  resumed  possession  of  my  chest 
and  books,  which  I  regarded  as  my  greatest  treasure.  I 
had  recovered  from  my  lameness.  I  was  strong  and 
active,  and  although  poorly  off  for  clothing  or  worldly 
goods,  was  free  from  debt,  and  had  a  couple  of  dollars 
which  I  could  call  my  own.  My  condition  had  decidedly 
improved ;  the  prospect  ahead  began  to  brighten,  and  I 
felt  able  and  anxious  to  perform  a  manly  part  in  any  noble 
enterprise. 

I  took  an  early  opportunity  to  look  around  the  wharves, 
and  examine  the  privateers  that  were  getting  ready  for  a 
cruise.  Two  of  these  vessels  particularly  commanded  my 
admiration,  the  Teaser  and  the  Paul  Jones.  The  Teaser 
was  a  New  York  pilot  boat  of  ninety  tons  burden,  a  rakish, 
wicked-looking  clipper  enough.  Her  armament  consisted 
chiefly  of  one  long  eighteen-pounder  amidships.  The 
Paul  Jones  was  a  large  schooner  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty  tons,  heavily  rigged,  with  immense  spars,  a  spacious 
deck,  and  of  a  genuine  buccaneer  model.  The  armament 
of  this  privateer  consisted  of  one  long  twenty-four- 
pounder  and  twelve  heavy  carronades. 


DECLARATION   OF   WAB.  219 

After  due  deliberation  I  fixed  upon  the  Paul  Jones  as 
the  more  desirable  vessel.  The  warlike  preparations  and 
rakish  appearance  of  this  schooner  looked  like  business, 
and  I  had  seen  the  insolence  of  John  Bull  so  often  exhib- 
ited on  the  broad  highway  of  nations,  and  had  so  often 
listened  to  his  taunts  and  sneers  in  ridicule  of  the  prowess 
of  the  Yankees,  that  I  longed  for  an  opportunity  to  lend  a 
hand  to  give  him  a  drubbing.  I  stepped  on  board  and 
inquired  of  an  officer  who  seemed  busy  in  giving  direc- 
tions, if  I  could  have  a  chance  in  the  privateer.  He  asked 
me  a  few  questions,  to  which  I  gave  satisfactory  answers. 
He  said  there  were  many  applications  of  a  similar  charac- 
ter, but  he  thought  he  could  insure  me  a  situation ;  told 
me  to  call  next  day  at  two  o'clock,  when  the  agent  would 
be  on  board,  and  the  matter  could  be  arranged. 

The  important  part  which  the  American  privateers  bore 
in  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain  is  well  known.  They 
were  fitted  out  in  every  port,  manned  by  brave  and  active 
men,  and  heavily  armed.  Managed  with  seaman-like  dex- 
terity, and  superior  in  sailing  capacity  to  vessels  belonging 
to  any  other  nation,  they  could  not  be  easily  captured. 
The  injury  inflicted  on  the  commerce  of  Great  Britain  by 
these  privateers  is  incalculable.  They  carried  terror  among 
our  enemies  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  ocean,  and  the 
desire  of  the  British  government  to  put  an  end  to  the  war 
may,  in  part,  be  attributed  to  the  activity,  courage,  and  en- 
terprise of  our  privateers.  The  principle  has  been  adopted 
in  all  ages,  that  private  property,  captured  on  the  high 
seas,  is  a  lawful  prize  to  the  captors ;  also,  that  the  destruc- 
tion of  private  property  belonging  to  an  enemy  is  a  justi- 
fiable act.  To  a  well-constituted  mind  it  must  appear,  on 
investigation,  that  such  principles  are  unjust,  belong  to  a 
barbarous  age,  and  cannot  be  advocated  on  any  platform 
of  ethics  recognized  among  civilized  nations  in  modern 
times. 

An  attempt  was  made  within  a  few  years  on  the  part  of 


220  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

Great  Britain,  which  also  met  the  approval  of  the  French 
government,  to  abolish  the  privateer  system,  on  the  ground 
that  this  mode  of  warfare  is  wrong  in  principle,  irregular, 
subject  to  abuses,  and  to  a  certain  extent  irresponsible.  A 
proposition  was  made  to  our  government  to  be  a  party  to 
an  agreement  to  abolish  the  system  forever.  Under  the 
cloak  of  Christian  philanthropy  this  was  a  master  stroke 
of  policy  on  the  part  of  the  British  and  French  govern- 
ments. Should  the  privateer  system  be  abolished  and  a 
war  unhappily  take  place  between  this  country  and  France 
or  Great  Britain,  either  of  those  nations,  with  myriads  of 
heavily  armed  men-of-war,  could  overrun  the  ocean,  and 
every  American  merchantman  venturing  to  sea  would  be 
captured  or  burned ;  our  own  commerce  would  be  annihi- 
lated, while  our  few  national  ships,  scattered  over  a  large 
surface,  could  offer  but  little  check  to  the  commercial  pur- 
suits of  an  enemy. 

Our  government  met  the  proposition  in  a  manly  man- 
ner, and  while  it  declined  entering  into  any  agree- 
ment which  had  for  its  exclusive  object  the  abolition  of 
the  privateer  system, — a  measure  which  would  inure 
chiefly  to  the  advantage  of  Great  Britain  or  France,  —  it 
went  further,  and  declared  itself  ready  to  accede  to  any 
arrangement  by  which,  during  a  war,  private  property  of 
every  character  should  be  exempted  from  capture,  not  only 
by  privateers  but  national  vessels.  This  noble  suggestion, 
worthy  a  great  nation  in  an  enlightened  age,  did  not  meet 
the  views  of  our  friends  across  the  water.  This  broad 
Christian  principle,  if  carried  out,  would  deprive  them  of 
many  advantages  they  might  reasonably  expect  to  derive 
from  their  numerous  ships  of  war. 

It  must  be  evident  that  in  case  of  a  war  between  this 
country  and  a  mighty  naval  power,  —  which  we  trust  will 
never  occur, — the  many  large  "clipper  ships,"  which  com- 
pose a  large  portion  of  our  commercial  marine,  will  be 
provided  with  screw  propellers,  and  transformed  into  pri- 


DECLARATION    OF    WAB.  221 

vateers.  Armed  with  guns  of  the  heaviest  metal,  une- 
qualled in  speed,  and  able  to  select  their  distance  and  posi- 
tion, they  will  prove  a  formidable  means  of  defence  and 
aggression ;  and  will  do  much  towards  protecting  our  own 
commerce  while  they  will  destroy  that  of  the  enemy. 

With  a  buoyant  heart  I  left  the  proud  and  warlike 
looking  privateer,  Paul  Jones,  and  proceeded  to  the -slip 
where  the  schooner  Mary  lay.  For  this  vessel,  looking 
so  demure  and  Quaker-like,  I  very  ungratefully  began  to 
entertain  feelings  akin  to  contempt.  She  was  now  taking 
in  cargo  and  was  expected  to  sail  in  a  few  days  on  her 
return  to  Newbern.  When  Captain  Thompson  came  on 
board,  I  told  him  I  had  engaged  to  join  the  privateer 
Paul  Jones,  which  vessel  was  about  to  sail  on  a  cruise.  He 
seemed  greatly  astonished,  and  abruptly  asked  me  what  I 
meant  by  such  conduct.  I  explained  my  intentions  more 
at  length,  and  referred  to  the  notice  I  had  given  of  my 
wish  to  join  a  privateer. 

"  I  had  no  idea  you  were  serious,"  said  the  captain.  "  I 
thought  you  intended  it  as  a  joke.  I  didn't  suppose  you 
were  such  a  confounded  fool  as  to  think  seriously  of  join- 
ing a  privateer." 

"Why,  sir,  what  can  I  do  better?  Our  merchant  ships 
Avill  be  laid  up  or  captured  on  the  high  seas.  Even  the 
coasting  trade  will  be  destroyed  by  British  cruisers  sta- 
tioned along  the  whole  extent  of  our  coast.  If  I  return 
to  Newbern,  I  shall  probably  be  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment ;  a  stranger  in  a  small  place,  and  almost  as  destitute 
as  when  I  first  shipped  on  board  the  Mary.  I  have  pon- 
dered on  the  subject,  and  am  convinced  that  my  best 
course  is  to  go  a  privateering." 

"  Go  to  Beelzebub,  you  mean ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  in 
a  rage.  "I  have  no  patience  with  you.  You  talk  non- 
sense. The  schooner  will  not  be  laid  up  on  her  return  to 
Newbern.  And,  furthermore,  you  have  signed  a  contract 
to  perform  a  voyage  from  Newbern  to  New  York  and 

19* 


222  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

back!  and  I  shall  hold  you  to  your  agreement.     Go  a  pri- 
vateering !     Pah ! " 

We  had  some  further  discussion,  in  the  midst  of  which 
Mr.  Jarvis,  the  owner  of  the  schooner,  who  had  arrived  in 
New  York  a  day  or  two  before  from  North  Carolina,  came 
on  board.  He  was  a  dignified-looking  man,  greatly  re- 
spected and  esteemed  in  Newbern.  He  espoused  Captain 
Thompson's  side  of  the  argument,  assured  me  it  was  un- 
likely his  vessels  would  be  laid  up  on  account  of  the  war, 
and  would  promise  me  that  in  any  event  I  should  not  be 
thrown  out  of  employment.  If  his  vessels  remained  idle 
at  the  wharves,  he  would  find  business  for  me  in  his  count- 
ing room  until  more  propitious  times. 

The  united  remonstrances  of  the  captain  and  the  owner 
of  the  Mary  came  with  a  force  I  was  unable  to  resist ; 
with  a  strong  effort  I  gulped  down  my  disappointment, 
and  gave  up  my  darling  project  of  making  a  cruise  in  the 
Paul  Jones.  Our  fortunes  in  this  life  —  our  destinies  — 
seem  sometimes  balanced  on  a  pivot  which  a  breath  will 
turn.  Had  I  accomplished  my  intention  and  embarked 
on  a  cruise,  how  different  my  fate,  in  all  likelihood,  would 
have  been ! 

We  left  New  York  about  the  2d  of  July.  After  hav- 
ing reached  the  offing,  while  pursuing  our  course  with  dil- 
igence towards  Cape  Hatteras,  we  were  overhauled  by  a 
New  York  pilot  boat  of  the  smallest  size,  apparently 
bound  in  the  same  direction.  This  little  schooner  was 
in  ballast,  and  skimmed  over  the  seas  like  a  Mother 
Carey's  chicken ;  ranged  up  on  our  weather  quarter  and 
hailed  us.  It  proved  to  be  the  Young  Pilot,  Captain  Mon- 
crieffj  bound  to  Savannah.  The  mate,  whose  name  was 
Campbell,  was  known  to  Captain  Thompson.  They  had 
been  boarders  in  the  same  house.  After  an  interchange 
of  salutations  and  hearty  wishes  for  a  pleasant  voyage,  the 
little  schooner  rapidly  drew  ahead  and  passed  on  her  way. 
There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  this  incident.  I  little 


DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  223 

thought  at  the  time  that  this  egg-shell  of  a  vessel  was 
destined  to  exercise  an  important  influence  on  the  future 
events  of  my  life. 

On  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July  we  were  off  the 
Chesapeake  Bay,  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  from  Cape 
Henry.  Captain  Thompson  was  a  sterling  patriot.  He 
dearly  loved  his  country,  and  gladly  caught  at  every  chance 
to  display  the  broad  flag  of  the  Union.  Accordingly,  on 
this  memorable  day  the  gorgeous  ensign  was  hoisted  at 
the  peak,  the  American  jack  waved  at  the  fore-topmast 
head,  and  a  long  pennant  fell  in  wavy  folds  from  the  main 
truck. 

"  If  I  had  a  big  gun,"  exclaimed  the  worthy  skipper,  in  a 
paroxysm  of  patriotism — "a  thirty-two-pound  carronade, 
I  \vould  fire  a  genuine  republican  salute,  and  make  such  a 
thundering  noise,  not  only  in  the  air  above  but  in  the 
depths  below,  as  to  wake  up  the  lazy  inhabitants  of  the 
deep,  and  make  them  peep  out  of  their  caves  to  ask  the 
cause  of  the  terrible  rumpus  over  their  heads." 

At  this  very  moment  a  suspicious-looking,  double-headed 
cloud  was  slowly  rising  in  the  west,  and  ere  long  spread 
over  a  large  space  in  the  heavens.  As  it  rolled  onward 
flashes  of  lightning  were  seen  and  a  distant  rumbling  was 
heard  —  a  thunder  squall  was  at  hand.  The  lightning  be- 
came more  vivid,  and  the  thunder  more  frequent  and  deaf- 
ening. Every  sail  was  lowered  to  the  deck,  the  helm  was 
put  hard  a-port,  and  the  gust  came  upon  us  with  terrible 
fury.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents,  the  lightning  kept  the  atmos- 
phere in  a  constant  state  of  illumination,  and  the  peals  of 
thunder  were  truly  appalling!  A  grander  salute,  or  a  more 
brilliant  and  effective  display  of  fireworks  on  the  Fourth 
of  July,  could  hardly  have  been  wished  by  the  most  enthu- 
siastic patriot.  Even  Captain  Thompson's  longings  for 
"a  thundering  noise  "  were  more  than  realized.  He  stood 
firmly  on  the  break  of  the  quarter-deck,  surrounded  by 
most  of  the  crew,  who  seemed  to  gather  near  him  for  pro- 


224  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

tection,  astonished  and  terrified  at  the  sublimity  of  the 
scene. 

I  was  standing  on  the  main  deck,  not  far  from  the  rest 
of  the  crew  at  the  time,  and  noticed  that  when  the  storm 
struck  the  schooner,  some  ropes  that  had  not  been  hitched 
to  a  belaying  pin  were  flying  loose  and  might  become  un- 
rove.  I  stepped  forward,  and  standing  on  tiptoe  was  in 
the  act  of  stretching  up  my  right  arm  to  grasp  the  end  of 
the  peak-halliards,  when  there  came  a  flash  of  white  light- 
ning which  almost  blinded  every  man  on  deck,  accom- 
panied by  a  peal  of  thunder  that  seemed  loud  enough 
to  shake  the  world  to  its  centre.  We  all  believed  the 
schooner  had  been  struck  by  lightning.  This  was  not  the 
case.  It  was,  nevertheless,  a  narrow  escape.  I  received 
on  my  hand  and  arm  an  electric  shock,  which  tingled 
through  every  nerve  and  nearly  felled  me  to  the  deck, 
and  rendered  my  arm  powerless  for  an  hour  afterwards. 

The  captain  now  seemed  really  alarmed.  He  ordered 
me  in  a  loud  voice  to  come  aft,  and  told  the  crew  to  fol- 
low him  into  the  cabin,  leaving  the  schooner  to  manage 
matters  with  the  thunder  storm  and  take  care  of  herself. 
He  produced  a  bottle  of  "old  Madeira"  from  a  locker,  and 
filled  several  glasses  ;  and  while  the  short-lived  storm 
raged  fearfully  above  our  heads,  he  insisted  on  every  man 
drinking  a  toast  in  honor  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  set 
the  example  himself  by  tossing  off  a  tumbler  filled  to  the 
brim. 

We  rounded  Cape  Hatteras  early  one  delightful  morn- 
ing, and  with  a  pleasant  breeze  from  the  northward  shaped 
our  course  for  Ocracoke  Inlet.  Several  coasters  were  in 
company,  and  a  small  schooner  was  seen  standing  towards 
us  from  the  Gulf  Stream.  This  vessel  was  soon  recog- 
nized as  the  Young  Pilot,  bound  to  Savannah,  which  we 
had  spoken  off  Sandy  Hook.  The  captain  of  the  little 
schooner  appeared  to  recognize  the  Mary,  hoisted  his  col- 
ors, and  steered  directly  towards  us. 


DECLARATION   OF   WAB.  225 

"  What  can  that  fellow  want  ? "  muttered  Captain 
Thompson.  "He  should  have  been  in  Savannah  before 
this?  What  has  he  been  doing  away  there  in  the  Gulf 
Stream?  There  is  roguery  somewhere?" 

The  Young  Pilot  soon  came  within  hail,  when  Captain 
Moncrieff  requested  Captain  Thompson  to  heave  to,  as  he 
wanted  to  come  on  board.  The  boat  was  launched  from 
the  deck  of  the  pilot  boat,  and,  manned  by  four  athletic 
seamen,  brought  Captain  Moncrieff  alongside  in  handsome 
style.  He  jumped  on  deck,  grasped  the  hand  of  Captain 
Thompson,  and  requested  to  have  some  conversation  with 
him  in  the  cabin.  They  were  absent  communing  together 
for  several  minutes,  when  Captain  Thompson  thrust  his 
head  out  of  the  companion-way,  and  looking  round,  caught 
my  eye.  He  beckoned  me  to  enter  the  cabin. 

"  What's  in  the  wind  now  ? "  thought  I  to  myself. 
"What  part  am  I  to  play  in  this  mysterious  drama? 
Something  better  than  reading  doomsday  pamphlets,  I 
hope." 

I  went  down  into  the  cabin.  "  Here,"  said  Captain 
Thompson  to  Captain  Moncrieff,  pointing  to  me,  "is  the 
only  person  on  board  my  vessel  who  would  think  of  ac- 
companying you  on  your  voyage.  I  would  gladly  assist 
you  in  your  unpleasant  dilemma,  but  I  cannot  advise  him 
to  go  with  you.  Nevertheless,  if  he  is  willing  I  shall 
make  no  objection." 

Captain  Moncrieff  gazed  upon  me  with  a  look  of  deep 
interest.  "Young  man,"  said  he,  "you  are  aware  I  sailed 
from  New  York  the  same  day  with  the  Mary.  My  vessel 
was  cleared  at  the  custom  house  for  Savannah ;  this  was 
necessary  in  consequence  of  the  embargo;  but  I  was  in 
reality  bound  for  La  Guayra,  on  the  Spanish  Main,  being 
the  bearer  of  despatches  of  importance  to  a  ship  belonging 
to  New  York.  On  egging  off  to  the  eastward,  to  cross 
the  Gulf  Stream,  my  crew,  convinced  that  Savannah  was 
not  my  destined  port,  began  to  murmur.  And  when  I 


226  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

acknowledged  I  was  bound  to  the  Spanish  Main,  they, 
one  and  all,  refused  to  proceed  further  OH  the  voyage,  and 
insisted  on  my  running  into  some  port  on  the  coast.  I 
have  told  Captain  Thompson  that  if  I  can  procure  one 
man  from  his  schooner,  I  will  leave  these  mutinous  fel- 
lows with  him  and  proceed  on  my  voyage.  Say,  then, 
my  good  fellow,  that  you  will  go  with  me.  I  will  allow 
you  twenty  dollars  a  month,  and  a  month's  pay  in  ad- 
vance—  more,  if  you  wish  it.  You  shall  receive  good 
treatment,  and  will  always  find  a  friend  in  Archibald 
Moncrieff." 

When  the  captain  of  the  pilot-boat,  who  seemed  much 
excited,  finished  his  narrative,  I  quietly  answered  without 
hesitation,  "  I  will  go  with  you." 

He  grasped  my  hand,  gave  it  a  hearty  shake,  and  said, 
"  I  thank  you.  You  shall  have  no  cause  to  regret  your 
decision.  Pack  up  your  things,  my  lad,  and  be  ready  to 
go  on  board  when  I  return." 

He  entered  his  yawl,  and  was  soon  on  the  deck  of  the 
pilot-boat.  It  took  me  but  a  few  minutes  to  get  ready 
for  my  departure.  Captain  Thompson  said  not  a  word, 
but  looked  thoughtful  and  dejected.  He  appeared  already 
to  regret  having  been  so  easily  persuaded  to  accommodate 
Captain  Moncrieff,  by  granting  me  permission  to  embark 
on  this  uncertain  expedition. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  yawl  returned  from  the 
little  schooner,  laden  with  chests,  bags,  and  bundles,  and 
having  on  board  the  captain,  four  seamen,  and  the  cook. 
The  luggage  was  tumbled  out  of  the  boat  in  short  order ; 
my  chest  was  deposited  in  the  stern  seats.  I  shook  hands 
with  my  old  shipmates,  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  Cap- 
tain Thompson,  who  had  always  treated  me  with  the 
kindness  of  a  father,  and  entered  the  boat.  Captain  Mon- 
crieff took  one  oar,  I  took  another,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
I  stood  on  the  deck  of  the  Young  Pilot.  A  tackle  was 
hooked  on  to  the  yawl,  which  was  hoisted  in  and  snugly 


ON    BOARD    THE    YOUNG    PILOT.  227 

stowed  on  deck;  the  helm  was  put  up,  the  fore-sheet 
hauled  to  leeward,  and,  before  I  had  time  to  realize  this 
change  in  my  situation,  I  found  myself  in  a  strange  ves- 
sel, with  strange  companions,  bound  on  a  strange  voyage 
to  the  Spanish  Main. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

ON    BOARD     THE    YOUNG    PILOT. 

AFTER  the  vessels  had  separated  and  were  rapidly 
increasing  the  space  between  them,  I  looked  back  upon 
the  schooner  Mary  and  recalled  the  many  pleasant  hours 
I  had  passed  in  that  vessel,  and  asked  myself  if  it  would 
not  have  been  better  to  have  remained  on  board,  trusting 
to  the  friendship  of  Captain  Thompson  and  the  promises 
of  Mr.  Jarvis.  When  I  looked  around,  and  fully  com- 
prehended the  situation  in  which  I  had  so  unthinkingly 
placed  myself,  I  saw  little  to  give  me  consolation  or  en- 
couragement. Captain  Moncrieff  was  not  prepossessing 
in  his  person  or  deportment.  He  was  a  tall,  large-limbed 
Scotchman,  about  forty  years  of  age,  with  light  blue  eyes 
and  coarse,  bloated  features.  He  was  abrupt  in  his  lan- 
guage, had  an  exalted  opinion  of  his  merits  and  capacity, 
was  always  the  hero  of  his  own  story ;  and,  although  he 
subsequently  proved  to  be  a  man  of  generous  feelings,  to 
my  unpractised  optics  he  looked  more  like  a  bully  than  a 
gentleman. 

Mr.  Campbell,  the  mate,  was  also  a  Scotchman  ;  but 
his  appearance  and  character  differed  essentially  from 
those  of  the  captain.  He  was  slightly  built,  with  thin, 
pale  features.  There  was  nothing  genial  in  his  looks ; 
and  a  certain  vulpine  cast  of  countenance,  a  low  forehead, 


228  JACK    IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  a  brow  deeply  wrinkled  —  but  not  with  age  —  con- 
veyed the  idea  of  a  selfish,  narrow-minded  individual. 

With  the  exception  of  myself,  there  was  no  other  per- 
son on  board  the  pilot-boat.  On  acceding  to  the  propo- 
sition of  Captain  Moncrieff,  it  escaped  my  notice  that  the 
cook  was  to  leave  the  schooner  with  the  rest  of  the  crew. 
It  now  flashed  across  my  mind,  communicating  any  thing 
but  a  pleasurable  sensation,  that  in  addition  to  the  ordi- 
nary duties  of  a  seaman,  I  was  expected  to  perform  the 
part  of  that  sable  functionary.  I  therefore  found  myself 
monopolizing  several  responsible  situations,  and  held  at 
one  and  the  same  time  the  oflice  of  second  mate,  cook, 
and  all  hands. 

In  the  novelty  of  my  situation,  however,  I  found  a 
source  of  amusement ;  and  the  very  uncertainty  of  the 
expedition,  the  singular  manner  in  which  I  joined  the 
pilot-boat,  and  the  abundant  cause  I  had  for  wonder- 
ing "what  would  turn  up  next,"  imparted  to  the  whole 
enterprise  an  unexpected  charm.  My  duties,  although 
various,  were  not  arduous,  but  occupied  a  large  portion 
of  my  time.  The  mate  and  myself  stood  watch  by  turns 
through  the  night,  each  steering  the  schooner  his  regular 
trick  of  four  hours  at  a  time.  The  captain  seldom  came 
on  deck  during  the  night,  but  enjoyed  his  rest  of  eight  or 
ten  hours  undisturbed. 

The  Young  Pilot  steered  so  easily,  the  helmsman  being 
snugly  seated  in  the  cuddy,  that  it  was  next  to  impossible 
for  any  one  to  remain  four  hours  in  that  comfortable  situ- 
ation, in  pleasant  weather,  with  no  one  to  converse  with 
or  even  to  look  at,  without  falling  asleep.  Aware  of  the 
responsibility  of  my  situation,  and  remembering  the  lesson 
I  had  received  when  lying  at  anchor  inside  of  Charleston 
bar,  I  strove  hard  to  resist  the  influence  of  the  drowsy 
god,  but  was  often  compelled  to  nod  to  his  dominion  ; 
and  many  a  sweet  and  stolen  nap  have  I  enjoyed  when 
stationed  at  the  helm,  and  the  vessel  left  entirely  in  my 


ON'    BOARD    THE    YOUNG    PILOT.  229 

charge.  Sometimes,  on  arousing  myself  from  my  slum- 
bers, I  found  the  rebellious  little  vessel  running  along  four 
or  five  points  off  her  course.  In  more  than  one  instance, 
when  the  orders  were  to  keep  close-hauled,  the  schooner 
gradually  fell  off  until  she  got  before  the  wind,  when  the 
sails  gibed,  all  standing,  making  a  terrible  clatter,  and 
awakening  not  only  myself,  but  the  captain  also,  who,  on 
coming  on  deck,  must  have  divined  the  true  state  of 
things  ;  but,  with  a  degree  of  consideration  which  I  could 
hardly  have  expected,  and  did  not  deserve,  he  never  gave 
me  a  word  of  reproof.  How  these  matters  were  managed 
by  Mr.  Campbell,  I  could  never  learn.  He  was  one  of 
those  nervous,  restless  mortals  who  require  but  little  sleep. 
It  can  hardly  be  doubted,  however,  that  he  sometimes  fell 
asleep  in  his  watch,  and  steered  the  schooner  in  every 
direction  but  the  right  one.  This  wild  steering  during 
the  night  will  sufficiently  account  for  a  long  passage  and 
errors  in  navigation.  Dead  reckoning  is  of  little  use 
when  the  courses  and  distances  are  not  correctly  noted. 
In  the  daytime,  Captain  Moncrieff  would  sometimes  steer 
hours  at  a  time,  especially  when  I  was  employed  in  other 
business  or  taking  a  nap  below. 

The  most  unpleasant  duty  I  was  expected  to  perform 
was  that  of  cooking.  I  had  never  been  inducted  into 
the  mysteries  of  that  art,  and  was  disgusted  with  its 
drudgeries.  While  in  the  Dolphin,  with  Captain  Turner, 
I  tried  my  hand  at  cooking  more  than  once,  when  the 
cook  had  been  so  badly  flogged  as  to  be  unable  to  per- 
form his  duties.  But  I  gained  no  laurels  in  that  depart- 
ment. Indeed,  dissatisfaction  was  expressed  in  the  fore- 
castle and  the  cabin  at  the  bungling  and  unartistic  style 
in  which  I  prepared  the  food  on  those  occasions.  In  the 
Young  Pilot  I  succeeded  but  little  better ;  and  the  cap- 
tain, who  was  something  of  an  epicure  in  his  way,  when- 
ever a  good  cup  of  coffee  was  required  for  breakfast,  or  a 
palatable  dish  for  dinner,  released  me  from  my  vocation 

20 


230  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

for  the  time,  and  installed  himself  in  the  camboose.  And 
it  would  have  been  amusing  to  a  looker-on,  to  see  the 
big,  burly  Scotchman  steaming  over  the  fire  and  smoke, 
rattling  the  pans  and  kettles,  and  compounding  various 
materials,  while  I  sat  quietly  at  the  helm,  watching  his 
operations,  and  thanking  my  stars  that  I  had  no  genius 
for  cooking. 

The  greatest  cause  I  had  for  disquiet  on  this  passage 
was  the  want  of  society.  The  captain  and  mate  could 
spin  their  yarns  and  discuss  subjects  of  nautical  philoso- 
phy; but  the  mate,  naturally  unsocial  and  taciturn,  sel- 
dom spoke  to  me,  and  the  captain  never  honored  me  by 
entering  into  familiar  conversation,  excepting  when  he 
had  indulged  in  an  extra  glass,  and  Mr.  Campbell  was 
not  on  deck.  At  such  times,  being  in  a  garrulous  humor, 
he  would,  as  a  sort  of  "  Hobson's  choice,"  address  himself 
to  me,  and  rattle  off  narratives  of  adventures  of  the  most 
astounding  description. 

The  schooner  was  easily  managed,  being  a  small  vessel 
of  only  thirty  tons  burden.  In  ordinary  weather,  one 
man,  without  leaving  his  station  at  the  helm,  could  tack 
ship,  gibe,  and  trim  every  sail.  The  schooner  was  a  good- 
sailing  vessel  in  light  winds;  but  her  chief  excellence  con- 
sisted in  ability  to  beat  to  windward.  When  within  four 
points  of  the  wind  she  progressed  at  the  rate  of  six  or 
seven  knots  with  a  moderate  breeze,  while  with  a  strong 
wind  on  the  quarter  eight  knots  was  her  greatest  speed. 
An  opportunity  offered  of  testing  her  sailing  qualities  a 
few  days  after  I  had  the  honor  to  constitute  her  whole 
crew. 

One  morning,  at  daylight,  as  we  were  steering  to  the 
southward  on  a  wind,  a  sail  was  made  on  the  lee  bow. 
It  proved  to  be  a  large  ship  with  two  tiers  of  ports,  not 
more  than  three  or  four  miles  off,  steering  to  the  west- 
ward. As  soon  as  we  were  seen,  the  ship  hauled  her 
wind,  spread  every  sail,  and  seemed  determined  to  ascer- 


ON    BOARD    THE    YOUNG    PILOT.  231 

tain  our  character  and  business  in  those  seas.  Captain 
Moncrieff,  with  perfect  propriety,  resolved,  if  possible,  to 
prevent  the  gratification  of  such  impertinent  curiosity. 
The  British  cruiser  sailed  remarkably  well;  and  if  \ve 
had  been  under  her  lee,  our  voyage  would  have  ended 
before  it  was  fairly  begun.  But  we  made  short  tacks  to 
windward,  shooting  into  the  wind's  eye  every  time  we 
went  about,  and  by  three  o'clock  the  ship  was  hull  down 
to  leeward,  when  she  gave  up  the  chase,  squared  away 
the  yards,  and  steered  to  the  westward. 

A  few  days  after  this  incident  we  fell  in  with  a 
large,  rakish-looking  schooner  on  our  weather  bow.  The 
schooner  was  heavily  armed  and  her  decks  were  full  of 
men.  She  crossed  our  hawse  and  kept  on  her  course 
until  some  distance  under  the  lee  bow,  then  hauled  to  the 
wind  on  the  starboard  tack,  and  on  reaching  our  wake 
tacked  within  long  gunshot  and  stood  directly  after  us. 
She  now  fired  a  blank  cartridge,  and  hoisted  the  Patriot 
flag. 

If  Captain  Moncrieff  had  kept  his  wits  about  him,  and 
had  not  been  afraid  of  cannon  balls,  we  might  have 
escaped,  by  keeping  on  our  course  or  making  short  tacks 
to  windward.  This  was  worth  the  trial,  as  it  was  not 
unlikely  the  schooner,  although  showing  Patriot  colors, 
was  a  Spanish  privateer  or  government  cruiser ;  in  which 
case,  it  would  appear  by  letters  and  other  documents  that 
we  were  bound  to  La  Guayra,  which  at  that  time  was  in 
possession  of  the  Patriot  forces,  and  could  expect  little 
forbearance  from  the  Spaniards,  who  were  waging  war  to 
the  knife  against  the  patriots.  This  was  forcibly  repre- 
sented to  Captain  Moncrieff  by  Mr.  Campbell ;  and  we 
trimmed  every  sail  carefully,  and  kept  close  to  the  wind, 
with  a  fair  prospect  of  making  our  escape. 

The  piratical-looking  craft,  perceiving  we  took  no  notice 
of  her  hint  to  heave  to,  yawed  off  a  couple  of  points  and 
sent  a  messenger  after  us  in  the  shape  of  a  twenty-four- 


232  JACK    IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

pound  shot,  which  struck  the  water  a  short  distance  astern, 
and,  playfully  skipping  along,  sank  beneath  the  surface 
near  the  weather  quarter.  Captain  Moncrieff  said  not  a 
word,  but  looked  amazingly  sober.  Campbell,  who  cared 
little  for  his  life,  but  had  great  fear  of  being  robbed,  and 
who  regarded  all  privateers  as  neither  more  nor  less  than 
thieves  and  pirates,  coolly  remarked,  "  O,  he  may  fire 
away  as  much  as  he  likes;  he  cannot  hit  us  at  that  dis- 
tance." 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  replied  Captain  Moncriefi^  much 
agitated.  "  I  believe  he  is  gaining  on  us.  The  next  shot 
may  take  away  one  of  the  masts." 

"  He  is  not  gaining  on  us,"  said  Campbell.  "  If  he 
should  hit  one  of  the  masts  we  should  be  compelled  to 
heave  to ;  it  would  no  longer  be  a  matter  of  choice.  But 
I  don't  believe  he  can  do  it." 

At  this  moment  the  schooner  yawed,  and  gave  us 
another  gun.  The  ball  came  whizzing  along,  passed  just 
over  the  mast-head,  and  fell  in  the  water  a  couple  of 
lengths  off  on  the  starboard  bow. 

"I'll  bet  a  beaver  hat,"  said  Campbell,  "he  can't  do 
that  again." 

"  This  will  never  do,"  exclaimed  the  captain,  greatly 
alarmed,  and  pale  as  a  ghost.  "He  will  hull  us  next 
time,  and  send  us  all  to  'Davy's  locker.'  Haul  the  fore- 
sheet  to  windward ! " 

This  was  done  ;  and  the  pilot-boat  lay  like  a  log  on  the 
water,  waiting  the  approach  of  our  pursuer. 

"  Now,"  said  Campbell,  with  a  scowl  of  disappointment, 
"  I  will  go  below  and  take  care  of  '  number  one.'  And, 
Hawser,"  continued  he,  "  1  know  those  chaps  better  than 
you  do.  They  glory  in  robbing  a  sailor's  chest  when 
there  is  any  thing  in  it  worth  taking.  I  advise  you  to  do 
as  I  mean  to  do  —  clothe  yourself  in  two  or  three  suits 
of  your  best  garments ;  for  I  never  knew  them  strip  the 
clothing  from  a  man's  back." 


Mr.  Campbell  taking  care  of  number  one.  —  p.  23$. 


OX    BOARD    THE    YOUNG    PILOT.  233 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  counsel,  sir,"  said  I ;  "  but  if 
they  overhaul  my  chest  in  expectation  of  a  prize,  they 
will  be  wofully  disappointed." 

Mr.  Campbell  went  below  a  slight-built,  thin-looking 
man,  bearing  a  closer  resemblance  to  Shakspeare's  por- 
trait of  Prince  Hal  than  to  that  of  FalstafE  When, 
fifteen  minutes  afterwards,  he  appeared  on  deck,  stagger- 
ing under  the  load  of  three  pairs  of  trousers,  an  equal 
number  of  vests,  covering  half  a  dozen  shirts,  with  two 
or  three  silk  kerchiefs  around  his  neck,  he  looked,  from 
his  chin  downwards,  more  like  the  "fat  knight"  than 
Prince  Hal  ;  and  his  thin  face,  peaked  nose,  and  chin 
showing  itself  above  such  a  portly  corporation  and  huge 
limbs,  gave  him  an  unnatural  appearance  ludicrous  in  the 
extreme.  He  told  me  he  had  stowed  away  the  remainder 
of  his  property  where  it  would  puzzle  the  privateersmen 
to  find  it,  and  chuckled  over  the  ingenuity  by  which  he 
expected  to  outwit  the  rascals. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  armed  schooner  ranged 
alongside.  She  was  a  formidable-looking  craft,  with  a 
"long  Tom"  and  a  stout  armament  besides.  We  were 
hailed  in  broken  English  :  "  You  capitan,  come  on  board 
directly,  and  bring  your  papers." 

The  captain  remonstrated,  saying  we  were  short- 
manned,  and  unable  to  launch  the  boat,  or  to  man  it 
afterwards.  They  did  not,  or  would  not,  understand 
bis  objections,  but  repeated  the  order  in  a  style  which 
silenced  further  remonstrance  :  "  Come  on  board,  Senor 
Capitan,  this  minute,  and  bring  your  papers,  or  I  shall 
shoot  directly!" 

There  was  no  alternative.  After  much  labor  and  heavy 
lifting  we  launched  the  boat.  Captain  Moncrieff  put  his 
papers  in  his  pocket,  and  leaving  Mr.  Campbell  in  charge 
of  the  schooner,  followed  me  into  the  yawl.  Putting  his 
dignity  along  with  his  papers,  he  took  an  oar,  I  took 
another,  and  we  pulled  for  the  privateer,  which  by  this 

20* 


234  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

time  was  out  of  hail  to  leeward.  We  went  alongside, 
and  were  roughly  ordered  on  deck,  where  we  found  a 
motley  set.  Some  of  the  crew  were  savage,  desperate- 
looking  fellows, 

"  As  ever  scuttled  ship,  or  cut  a  throat." 

Others  were  squalid,  ragged,  and  filthy,  to  a  degree  I  had 
never  before  witnessed.  There  was  apparently  but  little 
discipline  on  board,  but  a  great  deal  of  disputation  and  a 
continual  jabbering.  A  ruffianly-looking  fellow,  with  a 
swarthy  complexion  and  big  black  whiskers,  who  proved 
to  be  the  commander,  beckoned  Captain  Moncrieff  to  the 
quarter-deck,  where  he  examined  the  schooner's  papers 
and  various  letters,  all  of  which  proved,  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  the  schooner  was  an  American  vessel,  bound  to  a 
Patriot  port  on  the  Spanish  Main. 

Fortunately  for  us  our  captor  was  a  Patriot  privateer, 
and  our  little  vessel,  under  no  pretext,  could  be  regarded 
ns  a  prize.  If  we  had  been  bound  to  a  port  on  the  Span- 
ish Main  where  the  inhabitants  had  not  thrown  off  their 
allegiance  to  the  king,  or  if  the  privateer  had  been  a  Span- 
iard, the  case  would  have  been  different,  and  the  pilot-boat 
would  have  been  taken  possession  of  and  confiscated  to 
the  benefit  of  the  captors,  probably  without  trial.  In 
those  days  other  nations,  following  the  example  of  France 
and  England,  trampled  on  the  great  principles  of  interna- 
tional law  so  far  as  our  insulted  country  was  concerned. 

As  the  privateersmen  could  not  take  our  vessel  without 
avowing  themselves  pirates,  they  reluctantly  limited  thorn- 
selves  to  plunder.  An  officer  and  half  a  dozen  men,  armed 
with  pistols  and  cutlasses,  were  despatched  in  our  boat  to 
the  schooner,  which  they  thoroughly  examined  from  stem 
to  stern.  As  we  had  no  goods,  they  removed  the  ballast 
to  find  valuable  property  or  money,  which  we  might  have 
concealed.  They  overhauled  chests,  trunks,  and  writing- 
desks,  looking  for  specie  or  hidden  papers ;  helped  them- 


ON   BOARD    THE    YOUXG    PILOT.  235 

selves  to  whatever  they  particularly  fancied,  and  finally 
conveyed  to  the  privateer  all  the  water,  beef,  bread,  sugar, 
coffee,  and  other  provisions  and  stores  which  they  could  find, 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  scanty  supply  for  our  own  use ! 

After  a  detention  of  a  couple  of  hours,  the  last  boat  load 
of  provisions  was  transferred  to  the  deck  of  the  privateer,  and 
Captain  Moncrieff  and  myself  were  about  to  step  into  the 
boat  on  our  return,  when  the  officer  who  had  superintended 
the  piratical  operations  suggested  to  the  commander  of  the 
privateer  that  our  boat  was  a  remarkably  fine  one ;  far  bet- 
ter and  more  serviceable  than  any  one  in  their  possession, 
and  therefore  it  would  be  right  and  proper  for  us  —  the 
captain  and  crew  of  the  pilot-boat  —  to  return  to  our  own 
vessel  in  a  skiff  belonging  to  the  privateer,  and  leave  our 
boat  for  their  use. 

The  case  was  forcibly  put ;  the  logic  was  unanswerable, 
and  the  conclusion  inevitable.  The  stern-boat,  a  light  skiff, 
was  lowered  and  brought  alongside,  and  then  it  appeared 
why  the  privateersmen  did  not  board  us  in  their  own 
boat,  as  is  usual  on  such  occasions.  They  had  had  an  en- 
gagement the  day  before  with  a  Spanish  government  brig ; 
had  been  roughly  handled,  had  several  men  killed  and 
wounded,  and  sustained  damage  in  hull  and  spars.  The 
boats  had  been  riddled  with  shot,  and,  not  having  been 
subsequently  repaired,  were  not  seaworthy. 

When  the  little  skiff  was  brought  beneath  the  gangway 
the  water  was  pouring  through  the  bottom  in  divers  places. 
Xo  time  was  given  for  deliberation.  We  were  uncer- 
emoniously shoved  into  the  skiff,  the  painter  was  cast 
loose,  and  a  dark,  ugly-visaged  scoundrel  told  us,  in  broken 
English  and  with  a  diabolical  grin,  to  "pull  for  our  lives!" 
So,  indeed,  we  did.  The  pilot-boat  was  not  far  off,  never- 
theless we  should  have  swamped  ere  we  could  have 
reached  her  had  not  the  captain,  with  admirable  presence 
of  mind,  ordered  me  to  lay  in  my  oar,  and  at  the  same 
time  handed  me  his  hat,  a  large  one  and  in  tolerable  good 


236  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

condition,  and  pointing  to  the  water  in  which  our  legs 
were  immersed,  bade  me  "  bale  away  !  "  Then,  placing  his 
oar  over  the  stern  of  the  boat,  he  sculled  off  towards  the 
schooner  like  an  excited  Hercules ! 

In  this  way  we  managed  to  reach  the  Young  Pilot,  and 
greatly  to  the  amusement  of  the  piratical  patriots,  scram- 
bled on  board  in  a  most  undignified  manner.  In  spite  of 
our  exertions  the  skiff  was  filled  with  water  when  we  trod 
the  deck  of  the  schooner.  Mr.  Campbell  relieved  himself 
of  his  superfluous  garments,  and  we  went  busily  to  work 
rigging  purchases,  with  which  to  hoist  in  the  boat  we  had 
received  in  exchange  for  our  own.  We  then  proceeded 
on  our  way. 

Any  person  who  has  sailed  on  the  Atlantic  must  have 
noticed  the  luminous  appearance  of  the  water  of  the 
ocean,  especially  at  night  and  in  tempestuous  weather. 
This  beautiful  phenomenon  is  witnessed  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent in  some  parts  of  the  ocean  than  in  others,  and  in  dif- 
ferent sections  it  presents  different  appearances.  In  one 
place  it  seems  uniformly  luminous,  shining  feebly  with  a 
pale  and  sickly  light ;  in  another  it  exhibits  bright  flashes ; 
again,  it  appears  composed  of  brilliants  of  different  sizes 
and  shades,  and  sometimes,  like  a  grand  exhibition  of  the 
"  northern  lights,"  all  these  appearances  are  combined. 
The  most  phosphorescent  sea  seldom  exhibits  peculiarities 
by  daylight.  Nevertheless,  sometimes,  though  rarely,  lu- 
minous patches  and  even  large  tracts  of  water  are  seen  in 
the  daytime,  and  at  a  great  distance  from  ordinary  sound- 
ings, with  the  color  differing  materially  from  the  well- 
known  hue  of  the  ocean,  and  seeming  to  indicate  to  the 
astonished  mariner  the  existence  of  banks  or  shoals. 

A  few  days  after  we  fell  in  with  the  Patriot  privateer, 
being  in  about  twenty-six  degrees  of  latitude,  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  clear  and  beautiful  day,  Mr.  Campbell,  who  was 
at  the  helm,  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  alarm,  "  There's  a 
shoal  ahead!" 


OX    BOAED    THE    YOUNG    PILOT.  237 

On  looking  in  that  direction,  a  tract  of  water  embracing 
several  square  miles  was  seen,  which  was  of  a  light  green 
color  inclining  to  yellow.  Its  edges  were  well  defined,  but 
irregular,  and  presented  a  strong  contrast  with  the  general 
appearance  of  the  ocean.  We  supposed  the  water  on  that 
spot  must  be  shallow,  but  as  there  was  a  heavy  swell  and 
no  breakers  were  seen,  it  was  manifest  there  was  depth  of 
water  enough  for  our  little  schooner.  The  deep-sea  lead 
was  got  ready,  and  when  we  had  reached  what  we  consid- 
ered the  centre  and  shoalest  part  of  the  bank,  no  bottom 
was  found  with  a  hundred  fathoms  of  line.  The  peculiar- 
ity in  color  was  undoubtedly  owing  to  luminous  particles 
floating  in  the  water,  and  if  we  had  remained  on  that  spot 
until  dark  we  should  have  seen  that  whole  tract  of  ocean 
splendidly  illuminated. 

The  cause  of  this  singular  phenomenon  has  given  rise  to 
many  theories  and  much  discussion  among  naturalists.  It 
was  for  a  time  contended  that  this  phosphorescence  was 
a  quality  of  the  water  itself.  But  later  and  more  ac- 
curate observers  ascertained  beyond  a  doubt,  that  some 
marine  worms  and  other  insects  were  luminous.  On  pur- 
suing the  investigation  it  is  ascertained  that  the  sea  water 
is  far  less  pure  than  has  been  supposed,  and  is  often  crowd- 
ed with  myriads  of  minute  luminous  animals.  It  is  now 
admitted  that  the  phosphorescence  of  sea  water  is  a  prop- 
erty not  belonging  to  itself,  but  is  produced  by  animalcula, 
or  microscopic  creatures.  They  are  far  more  numerous 
in  some  tracts  of  ocean  than  in  others,  and  all  possess 
the  power  of  producing  a  light,  a  spark,  or  flash  at  will. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  these  living,  transparent  atoms 
cause  the  luminous  appearance  of  the  ocean,  which  excites 
admiration,  and  has  so  often  been  described  in  glowing 
language  by  the  poet. 


238  JACK  IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

CAPTTJBED      BY      A     PRIVATEEB. 

CAPTAIN  MONCRIEFF  was  desirous  of  entering  the  Ca- 
ribbean Sea  through  the  Sail-rock  passage,  which  sepa- 
rates the  barren  island  of  St.  Thomas  from  Porto  Rico. 
But  when  we  reached  the  latitude  of  those  islands  we  be- 
held, on  our  starboard  bow,  the  mountainous  country  on 
the  eastern  part  of  Hayti.  The  island  of  Porto  Rico  was 
soon  afterwards  seen  on  the  other  bow,  and  directly  ahead 
was  the  little  island  of  Mona,  rising  abruptly  from  the  sea. 
Instead  of  striking  the  Sail-rock  passage  we  found  our- 
selves in  the  centre  of  the  Mona  passage,  a  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  to  leeward  of  Sail-rock,  and  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  westward  of  the  meridian  of  La  Guayra. 

Although  Captain  M oncrieff  was  glad  of  an  opportunity 
to  ascertain  his  true  position,  he  was  mortified  at  finding 
himself  westward  of  his  destined  port.  The  Young  Pilot 
was  immediately  hauled  on  a  wind,  and  we  crossed  the 
Caribbean  Sea  with  a  fine  breeze,  and  one  morning  beheld 
the  Rocas,  a  cluster  of  barren  rocks,  right  ahead.  We 
passed  over  a  bank  extending  from  this  group  of  rocks, 
and  with  a  fishing-line  trailing  astern  and  a  piece  of  the 
rind  of  pork  for  bait,  caught  a  quantity  of  Spanish  mack- 
erel, a  fish  of  excellent  flavor,  weighing  four  or  five  pounds 
each. 

And  I  will  here  state,  for  the  benefit  of  those  navigators 
who  have  little  experience  in  those  seas,  that  on  the  edge 
of  soundings  in  all  parts  of  the  West  Indies,  and  particu- 
larly on  the  edges  of  the  Bahamas  and  Salt  Key  Bank, 
abundance  of  fish  of  excellent  quality,  as  black  perch, 
kingfish,  barracooter,  and  Spanish  mackerel,  may  be  taken 
by  trailing  during  a  breeze,  in  any  reasonable  quantity. 


CAPTURED    BY    A   PRIVATEER.  239 

By  steering  a  course  directly  from  the  Rocas  to  La 
Guayra  we  could  have  reached  that  port  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  but  Captain  Moncrieff  was  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  a  strong  current  was  setting  to  the  westward. 
Therefore,  instead  of  proceeding  directly  to  the  Spanish 
Main,  as  he  should  have  done,  he  commenced  beating  to 
windward,  and  continued  this  absurd  process  for  two  days, 
when,  having  made  the  island  of  Tortuga,  he  satisfied  him- 
self he  was  far  enough  to  windward,  and  that  there  was 
no  current  at  that  time  in  those  seas.  The  helm  was  ac- 
cordingly put  up,  and  with  a  free  wind  we  now  steered  to 
the  south-west,  to  fall  in  with  the  coast  somewhere  near 
Cape  Codera.  We  made  the  land  about  fifty  miles  to 
windward  of  La  Guayra,  in  the  afternoon,  about  three 
o'clock.  Captain  JMoncrieff  clapped  his  hands  in  ecstasy 
when  he  saw  the  land.  "  If  this  breeze  holds,"  said  he,  "  we 
can  run  along  under  easy  sail  and  be  off  the  harbor  before 
daylight  to-morrow  morning." 

His  exultation  was  moderated  by  the  sight  of  a  large 
topsail  schooner  on  our  starboard  quarter,  dead  to  wind- 
ward, steering  towards  us  under  a  heavy  press  of  sail,  and 
coming  up  hand  over  hand.  "We  hoisted  our  square-sail 
and  wet  our  other  sails,  but  the  schooner  gained  upon  us 
rapidly.  Ere  the  darkness  of  night  concealed  us  from  her 
view,  we  became  aware  that  the  schooner  in  chase  was  a 
Spanish  government  vessel,  termed  a  Guarda  Costa,  one  of 
the  very  few  armed  vessels  stationed  on  that  coast  to  show 
that  the  blockade  of  the  Patriot  ports  on  the  Spanish 
Main  was  not  a  mere  paper  blockade. 

A  hasty  consultation  between  the  captain  and  the  mate 
was  now  held,  to  devise  means  of  keeping  out  of  the 
clutches  of  the  Spaniard  during  the  night.  They  both 
agreed  in  the  opinion  that  the  Guarda  Costa  would  keep 
on  the  course  she  was  steering  when  last  seen,  with  the 
expectation  of  soon  overhauling  us.  Therefore  the  best 
mode  of  disappointing  those  expectations  would  be  to 


240  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

change  our  course,  run  directly  towards  the  shore,  dowse 
every  sail,  and  remain  concealed  by  the  darkness  until 
morning. 

The  stratagem  devised  by  the  combined  wisdom  of  the 
officers  was  carried  into  effect.  We  ran  in  under  the  land 
and  hauled  down  every  sail,  thus  presenting  so  small  a 
surface  to  the  eye  that  it  was  almost  impossible  we  should 
be  seen  during  the  night.  It  was  deemed  advisable  to 
keep  a  good  look-out,  and  Captain  Moncrieff  volunteered 
to  keep  the  watch  from  eight  o'clock  to  eleven.  Mr. 
Campbell  was  to  be  on  deck  from  eleven  o'clock  until 
three,  when  I  was  to  be  called  to  keep  the  look-out  until 
daylight. 

Every  thing  passed  off  well  during  the  first  and  second 
watches  of  the  night.  At  three  o'clock  I  was  roused  out 
by  the  mate,  and  took  my  station  on  deck.  I  could  not 
divest  myself  of  the  idea  that  the  Guarda  Costa  had  di- 
vined our  intentions  and  was  quietly  lying  to,  somewhere 
in  our  vicinity,  sure  of  finding  us  snugly  under  her  guns 
at  the  dawn  of  day.  There  was  no  moon  in  the  heavens, 
nevertheless  the  horizon  was  well  defined,  and  a  large  ob- 
ject could  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  a  couple  of  miles.  I 
took  a  careful  look  around  the  horizon,  waited  a  short 
time  and  looked  again.  I  suffered  my  eyes  to  dwell  on  that 
quarter,  in  a  north-east  direction,  where  the  schooner  had 
been  seen  the  evening  before,  and  after  a  while  I  beheld  a 
speck  darker  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 

Might  it  not  exist  only  in  imagination  ?  I  turned  away 
my  eyes  and  took  a  survey  of  the  horizon  in  another  direc- 
tion, and  again  looked  towards  the  quarter  where  the  dark 
object  had  appeared.  It  was  still  there.  Feeling  assured 
I  was  not  the  victim  of  error,  I  ventured  to  call  Captain 
Moncrieff  who  hastened  on  deck  followed  by  the  mate.  I 
gave  him  my  reasons  for  disturbing  his  slumbers,  and 
pointed  to  the  dark  speck  which  had  arrested  my  attention. 
They  both  looked  in  the  direction  I  indicated,  but  could 


CAPTURED    BY    A    PRIVATEER.  241 

see  nothing.  The  captain  swept  the  horizon  with  his  spy- 
glass, then  turning  to  me,  said,  "  Hawser,  you  have  per- 
suaded yourself  that  the  Guarda  Costa  is  still  in  that 
direction,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more  unlikely,  and 
your  fancy  has  conjured  up  a  vision  that  is  visible  to  no 
one  but  yourself." 

"  It  is  no  fancy,  sir,"  said  I,  boldly.  "  I  know  there  is  a 
vessel  in  that  direction.  I  can  see  it  distinctly ;  and  you 
may  mark  my  words  that  the  sooner  we  get  the  schooner 
under  sail,  the  greater  will  be  the  chance  of  escaping 
capture." 

Mr.  Campbell,  with  a  sneering  laugh,  remarked  that  his 
eyes  never  yet  deceived  him,  and  that  he  could  see  as  far 
in  the  dark  as  any  one!  The  captain,  however,  was 
staggered  by  the  obstinacy  with  which  I  adhered  to  my 
statement,  and  said  to  the  mate,  "It  is  possible  that 
Hawser  may  see  something  in  that  quarter  which  we 
cannot  see,  and  as  it  is  nearly  daylight  it  may  be  well 
to  get  the  schooner  under  sail  and  commence  running 
clown  the  coast." 

We  began  to  hoist  our  sails ;  but  before  the  foresail  was 
set,  a  flash  of  light  appeared  in  the  north-east  followed 
by  the  report  of  a  gun,  thus  confirming  the  correctness  of 
my  assertion  and  establishing  the  excellence  of  my  eye- 
sight. We  lost  no  time  in  getting  sail  on  the  schooner ; 
and  now  Captain  Moncrieff  regretted  that  instead  of  run- 
ning in  towards  the  land  he  had  not  adopted  means  during 
the  night  of  getting  the  weather-gage,  when  he  could  have 
laughed  at  the  efforts  of  the  Guarda  Costa  to  interrupt 
our  voyage. 

Daylight  appeared  in  the  east,  when  the  Spanish  schoon- 
er was  plainly  seen ;  also  another  vessel  which  had  fallen 
into  her  hands  whilst  she  was  quietly  lying  to,  hoping  to 
pounce  upon  us.  As  soon  as  objects  could  be  distinctly 
seen,  the  boat  of  the  Guarda  Costa  was  returning  from  a 
visit  to  the  stranger,  and  the  Spaniard  having  got  a  glimpse 

21 


242  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

of  the  pilot-boat,  showed  a  determination  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  the  object  of  our  voyage.  The  affair  be- 
came exciting.  We  were  close  in  with  the  shore,  running 
directly  before  the  wind  with  a  fresh  breeze.  The  schoon- 
er had  got  in  our  wake  and  was  crowding  all  sail  in  pursuit. 

It  soon  became  manifest  that  we  could  not  escape.  Our 
pursuer  was  hardly  a  gunshot  off,  and  slowly  but  surely 
lessening  the  space  between  us.  The  sagacious  Mr. 
Campbell  regarded  our  capture  as  inevitable,  and,  true  to 
his  characteristics,  repeated  the  stratagem  which  had 
served  him  so  successfully  when  we  were  molested  by  the 
Patriot  privateer.  He  doffed  his  old  garments,  which  were 
not  worth  stealing,  and  clad  himself  from  top  to  toe  in  two 
or  three  complete  suits  of  his  best  clothing.  He  came  on 
deck  resembling  a  swathed  mummy,  and  perspiring  freely 
under  the  heavy  load. 

When  the  Guarda  Costa  had  approached  within  fair 
gunshot,  and  we  were  every  minute  expecting  an  iron 
shower,  we  saw  at  a  short  distance  ahead  on  a  projecting 
point  of  land,  a  fort  on  which  several  guns  were  mounted, 
and  the  Patriot  flag  was  waving  from  a  tall  flagstaff.  The 
masts  of  some  small  vessels  were  also  visible  over  the 
point. 

"  There  is  a  snug  harbor,"  exclaimed  Captain  Moncrieffj 
"  defended  by  a  fort  and  in  possession  of  the  Patriots.  We 
will  run  in  under  the  guns  of  our  friends  and  come  to 
anchor.  Hurrah,  we  are  all  right  at  last ! "  And  he  cut  a 
pigeon-wing  with  a  dexterity  of  which  I  had  hardly  be- 
lieved him  capable. 

And  now  an  armed  felucca  shot  out  from  the  harbor 
beyond  the  fort  with  the  Patriot  flag  flying  at  the  peak. 
She  was  full  of  men,  evidently  a  privateer,  and  with  long 
sweeps  pulled  swiftly  towards  us.  When  within  hearing, 
a  fierce-looking  fellow,  with  pistols  in  his  belt  and  a  sabre 
at  his  side,  stepped  upon  the  gunwale  and  hailed  us  in 
tolerable  English, 


CAPTURED    BY    A   PRIVATEER.  243 

"  Captain,"  said  he,  "  that  Spanish  schooner  is  one  great 
rascal.  If  he  should  board  your  vessel,  he  will  cut  all 
your  throats  /" 

u  Can  I  enter  that  harbor  ?  "  inquired  Captain  Moncrieff, 
greatly  alarmed  at  such  a  sanguinary  piece  of  intelligence. 

"  Certainly,  certainly !  There,  and  there  only  you  will 
be  safe.  Follow  the  felucca,  and  we  will  pilot  you  in." 

The  felucca  rounded  the  point,  closely  followed  by  the 
pilot-boat.  We  entered  a  snug  little  bay,  well  sheltered 
from  the  regular  winds  and  waves,  and  agreeably  to  the 
directions  of  our  new  and  zealous  friends  let  go  an  anchor ; 
at  the  same  time  the  Guarda  Costa  fired  a  gun,  hauled 
down  her  colors,  gave  up  the  chase,  and  steered  away  to 
the  northward. 

We  were  boarded  by  the  commander  of  the  felucca  and 
the  officer  who  had  so  kindly  told  us  of  the  bloody  inten- 
tions of  our  pursuers.  They  shook  Captain  Moncrieff  by 
the  hand,  and  congratulated  him  on  having  baffled  the 
enemy. 

"But,"  asked  Captain  Moncrieff,  "will  not  the  blood- 
thirsty Spaniards  return  at  night,  send  in  an  armed  boat 
and  cut  us  out  from  under  the  guns  of  the  fort  ?  " 

"  O,  no  !  There's  no  fear  of  that, "  replied  the  com- 
mander of  the  felucca,  with  a  savage  smile  which  I  did  not 
half  like.  "  Be  not  alarmed.  We  will  take  good  care  of 
you,"  and  he  clapped  his  hand  significantly  on  the  hilt  of 
his  sabre ! 

I  was  an  attentive  observer  of  every  event  which  took 
place,  and  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  proceedings. 
The  sudden  apparition  of  the  felucca,  the  departure  of  the 
Guarda  Costa  without  firing  a  shot,  and  the  exultation  of 
the  officers  who  boarded  us,  and  which  they  tried  in  vain 
to  conceal,  all  convinced  me  there  was  some  mystery 
which  it  was  not  in  my  power  to  fathom. 

"  Where  are  you  bound,  captain  ?  "  inquired  the  officious 
commander  of  the  felucca. 


244  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

"  To  La  Guayra,  if  it  still  belongs  to  the  Patriots,"  re- 
plied Moncrieff. 

"That  is  right,"  exclaimed  the  grinning  corsair.  "You 
are  a  good  patriot,  and  have  letters  and  intelligence  which 
will  be  valuable  to  our  friends  in  La  Guayra  !  " 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Moncrieff.  "  I  have  letters  in  abun- 
dance ,  and  any  thing  in  my  power  to  aid  in  establishing 
the  independence  of  the  Spanish  Provinces  on  the  Main 
I  will  do  with  pleasure." 

The  commander  of  the  felucca  expressed  satisfaction  at 
such  noble  sentiments,  and  added,  "  I  will,  with  your  per- 
mission, go  below  and  examine  your  papers." 

Hardly  had  the  two  captains  left  the  deck,  when  the 
loud  report  of  a  gun  from  the  fort  echoed  across  the  water, 
and  down  came  the  Patriot  flag  from  the  flagstaff!  It 
was  immediately  replaced  by  the  sickly  emblem  of  Spain. 
A  musket  was  fired  from  the  felucca,  and  the  Spanish  en- 
sign waved  also  at  her  peak  !  Moncrieff  heard  the  firing 
and  rushed  on  deck  just  as  an  ill-looking  fellow,  who  had 
for  some  time  been  busy  about  the  signal  halliards,  near 
the  taffrail,  was  running  up  a  Spanish  flag,  with  the  stars 
and  stripes  beneath  !  He  saw  at  a  glance  that  he  was  the 
victim  of  an  ingenious  trick.  He  was  terribly  agitated  — 
his  features,  usually  florid,  were  as  pale  as  death.  "  What 
is  the  meaning  of  all  this  ? "  he  exclaimed,  in  a  husky 
voice. 

"A.bueno  prize,  captain !  A  bueno  prize!"  replied  the 
exulting  commander  of  the  felucca,  patting  him  affection- 
ately on  the  shoulder. 

The  affair  required  but  little  explanation.  The  fort  was 
a  Spanish  fort.  The  felucca  was  a  Spanish  privateer,  be- 
longing to  Porto  Cabello,  and  her  commander  had  adroitly 
managed  to  capture  the  pilot-boat  just  as  we  were  about 
to  fall  into  the  jaws  of  the  Guarda  Costa.  The  com- 
mander of  the  felucca  had  furthermore  wormed  out  of 
the  unsuspecting  Moncrieff  all  the  secrets  of  his  mis- 


CAPTURED    BY   A   PRIVATEER.  245 

sion,  and  paved  the  way  for  the  confiscation  of  our  little 
schooner. 

Moncrieff  stormed  and  raved  like  a  madman  ;  but  there 
was  no  remedy.  The  Spaniards  were  too  well  pleased 
with  the  success  of  their  stratagem  to  notice  his  anger, 
and  the  captain  on  reflection  was  somewhat  consoled  by 
the  idea  that  if  he  had  missed  the  felucca  he  could  not 
have  escaped  the  Guarda  Costa.  On  conversing  further 
with  his  captors,  he  ascertained  that  the  ship,  to  reach 
which  was  the  object  of  his  mission,  was  now  at  Porto 
Cabello,  which  place  had  been  recently  captured  by  the 
royalists  after  a  hard  battle.  He  further  learned  that  it 
AV:IS  the  intention  of  his  captors  to  proceed  directly  to 
Porto  Cabello  with  their  prize. 

A  prize-master  and  eight  men,  armed  to  the  teeth,  were 
put  on  board.  Mr.  Campbell  was  ordered  into  the  felucca 
without  an  opportunity  of  relieving  himself  of  his  extra 
clothing.  The  rays  of  the  sun  in  that  sheltered  harbor 
seemed  endued  with  a  tenfold  degree  of  caloric ;  and  the 
poor  fellow,  as  he  stepped  over  the  side,  bowed  down  by 
the  weight  of  his  garments  and  sweltering  with  heat,  was 
a  legitimate  object  of  pity,  although  a  martyr  to  his  selfish 
propensities. 

We  left  the  harbor  on  our  way  to  Porto  Cabello ;  but 
our  progress  was  slow,  being  interrupted  by  calms.  The 
prize  crew  of  the  Young  Pilot  were  attentive  to  their 
duties  and  faithful  and  vigilant  during  the  night.  They 
were  divided  into  two  watches,  and  four  of  them,  armed 
with  pistols  and  cutlasses,  paced  the  deck  at  all  hours. 
Nevertheless,  on  the  third  day  after  leaving  port,  the 
felucca  being  out  of  sight  in  the  north-east  chasing  a  sus- 
picious-looking vessel,  Captain  Moncrieff,  having  raised 
and  fortified  his  courage  by  an  extra  portion  of  cogniac, 
called  me  into  the  cabin  and  broached  the  subject  of  re- 
taking the  schooner! 

"  Hawser,"  said  he,  "  I  cannot  reconcile  myself  to  the 
21* 


246  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

loss  of  my  vessel ;  the  idea  of  being  tricked  out  of  her  by 
a  set  of  garlic-eating  ragamuffins  puts  me  out  of  all 
patience.  I  have  as  good  a  pair  of  pistols  as  were  ever 
manufactured,  which  I  concealed  when  the  schooner  was 
searched.  With  these,  and  a  good  cutlass  in  my  hand,  I 
would  face  a  dozen  of  these  cowardly  Spaniards  at  any 
time.  If  you  will  stand  by  me  we  will  drive  every 
mother's  son  of  them  overboard !  " 

I  saw  that  Moncrieff  was  so  drunk  he  could  hardly 
Btand.  Indeed,  it  was  only  at  such  times  his  courage  was 
roused  to  fighting  heat.  I  attempted  to  calm  his  excite- 
ment by  representing  the  slender  chance  of  success  we 
should  have  in  open  combat  with  eight  or  ten  men  com- 
pletely armed ;  that  it  was  far  more  likely  we  should  be 
thrown  overboard  than  the  prize  crew.  I  also  argued  that 
even  if  we  should  be  successful  in  the  desperate  contest 
we  should  gain  nothing,  but  on  the  contrary  lose  the  op- 
portunity of  proceeding  to  Porto  Cabello  where  the  ship 
Charity  was  now  lying ;  that  in  every  point  of  view  his 
design  was  objectionable,  as  well  as  impracticable ;  and 
furthermore,  the  attempt  would  be  an  ungrateful  return  for 
the  civilities  and  indulgence  we  had  received  from  the 
prize-master  and  his  associates. 

My  remonstrances  only  served  to  increase  the  fury  of 
Moncrieff  who  swore  that  single-handed  he  would  retake 
the  schooner.  With  his  back  against  the  mainmast  and  a 
good  claymore  in  his  hand,  he  would  cut  down  every  man 
one  after  another ! 

I  found  he  was  too  far  gone  to  listen  to  reason  ;  and  it 
is  possible  he  might  have  staggered  on  deck,  pistol  in 
hand,  and  been  shot  down  for  his  pains,  if  the  prize-master, 
attracted  by  his  loud  and  threatening  language,  had  not 
listened  to  a  part  of  the  conversation ;  and  as  the  captain 
was  on  the  point  of  sallying  forth,  like  a  doughty  champion 
of  old,  in  search  of  hard  knocks,  his  collar  was  grasped  by 
a  couple  of  stout  men ;  and  he  was  roughly  laid  on  his 


CAPTURED    BY    A    PRIVATEER.  247 

back  and  handcuffed  in  a  trice.  His  pistols  were  found 
and  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  prize-master  as  spoils  of 
the  vanquished,  and  he  would  have  been  treated  with 
great  harshness  had  I  not  interfered  and  pointed  out  the 
brandy  bottle  as  the  guilty  originator  of  the  plot.  The 
brandy  was  promptly  secured,  to  be  punished  hereafter. 
The  captain  was  relieved  of  his  manacles  and  shoved  into 
his  berth,  where  he  slept  off  his  valorous  propensities,  and 
awoke  a  few  hours  afterwards  a  different  man,  who  could 
hardly  be  drubbed  into  a  plot  which  would  endanger  his 
own  life. 

In  spite  of  calms,  and  light  winds,  and  Patriot  cruisers, 
we  reached  Porto  Cabello  on  the  fifth  day  after  leaving 
the  little  harbor  where  we  were  so  handsomely  entrapped. 
The  felucca  entered  the  port  at  the  same  time,  and  Mr. 
Campbell  was  permitted  to  join  us  once  more ;  and  he  did 
it  with  an  alacrity  which,  I  confess  to  my  shame,  furnished 
me  with  no  little  amusement.  The  sufferings  of  the  poor 
man  while  in  the  felucca  can  hardly  be  imagined.  He  was 
exposed  in  that  hot  climate,  and  during  the  prevalence  of 
calms,  to  the  fiercest  rays  of  the  sun,  while  loaded  with 
clothes  enough  to  keep  him  uncomfortably  warm  during  a 
polar  winter.  And  he  felt  compelled  to  bear  his  burden 
without  murmuring  or  seeking  to  be  relieved,  lest  his  com- 
panions should  suspect  his  reasons  for  bearing  his  whole 
wardrobe  on  his  back,  and  take  umbrage  at  such  a  reflec- 
tion on  their  honor  1 


248  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER      XXIII. 

PORTO     CABELLO. 

THE  ship  Charity  was  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Porto 
Cabello,  but  under  seizure  of  the  Spanish  government. 
Captain  Moncrieff,  Mr.  Campbell,  and  myself,  with  no 
longer  a  home  in  the  pilot-boat,  transferred  our  quarters 
to  the  ship.  The  officers  took  up  their  abode  in  the  cabin, 
while  I  was  thrown  on  the  hospitalities  of  the  forecastle. 
The  prize-master  of  the  pilot-boat  honored  me  with  a 
pressing  invitation  to  join  the  crew  of  the  felucca,  assuring 
me  there  was  "good  picking"  along  the  coast,  and  he 
would  put  me  in  the  way  of  doing  well.  I  felt  flattered  by 
his  good  opinion;  but  under  the  circumstances  thought 
proper  to  decline  the  invitation. 

The  ship  Charity  was  a  vessel  of  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  burden,  moored  at  this  time  in  the  centre  of 
the  harbor,  awaiting  the  decision  of  the  Admiralty  Court. 
The  ship  was  commanded  by  a  man  of  very  ordinary 
capacity.  The  mate  was  a  mere  sailor,  wanting  in  intelli- 
gence and  worth,  and  a  fit  associate  for  the  captain.  The 
ship  and  her  valuable  cargo  were  actually  in  charge  of 
the  supercargo,  a  Mr.  Parker,  of  New  York,  who  was  also 
part  owner.  He  resided  on  shore  and  seldom  visited  the 
ship.  It  was  at  his  instance  I  found  an  asylum  in  the 
Charity  along  with  the  officers  of  the  pilot-boat. 

The  crew  of  the  Charity  consisted  of  some  eight  or  ten 
men,  —  Dutchmen,  Swedes,  and  Italians,  —  as  brutal  and 
ignorant  a  set  of  men  as  it  was  ever  my  misfortune  to 
fall  in  with.  With  such  officers  and  such  a  crew,  it  may 
be  imagined  there  was  little  discipline  on  board.  Liquor 
could  be  easily  obtained;  and  drunken  rows  and  fighting 
among  themselves,  and  occasionally  with  the  captain  or 


PORTO    CABELLO.  249 

mate,  were  of  frequent  occurrence.  None  of  the  crew  gave 
me  a  welcome  when  I  went  on  board,  and  I  saw  at  once 
there  could  be  no  good  fellowship  between  us.  I  found 
a  space  in  the  forecastle  for  my  chest,  and  in  that  warm 
climate  it  mattered  little  where  I  slept.  I  performed  my 
duties  regularly  with  the  crew,  and  for  the  first  two  days 
led  an  unsocial,  almost  a  solitary  life,  in  the  midst  of  a 
large  ship's  company.  Captain  Moncrieff,  like  an  honest 
man,  paid  me  the  month's  pay  to  which  I  was  entitled,  in 
advance.  This  money  I  kept  about  my  person,  and  care- 
fully concealed  from  every  one  the  prosperous  state  of  my 
finances.  I  was  thus  enabled  to  indulge  in  little  comforts 
which,  to  some  extent,  counterbalanced  the  inconveniences 
to  which  I  was  subjected. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  I  had  taken  up 
my  quarters  in  the  ship,  another  person  was  received  on 
board  in  accordance  with  a  mandate  from  the  supercargo. 
His  name  was  Frederick  Strictland.  He  was  an  English- 
man, a  veritable  cockney,  about  nineteen  or  twenty  years 
of  age,  a  strong-built  and  rather  good-looking  young  man. 
His  countenance,  although  intelligent,  was  not  prepossess- 
ing ;  there  was  a  sort  of  nameless  expression  about  the  eye 
which  repelled  confidence  and  invited  suspicion.  But  it 
was  no  time  for  me  to  entertain  prejudices  which  might 
be  unfounded,  or  indulge  in  surmises  unfavorable  to  the 
character  of  my  new  shipmate.  He  could  talk  English, 
and  talk  it  well.  He  was  the  victim  of  misfortune,  being 
destitute  of  friends  and  money  in  a  strange  country. 
Finding  ourselves  accidentally  thrown  together  in  the 
same  ship,  it  is  not  remarkable  that  we  became  constant 
companions  from  the  commencement  of  our  acquaintance, 
and  intimate  friends. 

Strictland's  story  was  calculated  to  excite  compassion. 
His  father  was  a  respectable  trader  in  London,  and  Fred- 
erick had  been  a  clerk  in  his  counting  room.  He  frankly 
acknowledged  he  had  been  a  little  wild  and  extravagant, 


250  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  having  expressed  a  desire  to  go  abroad,  his  father 
allowed  him  to  proceed  to  Cura9oa  on  a  visit  to  a  brother 
in  that  island.  His  brother  received  him  coldly  and  could 
not  or  would  not  find  him  employment.  He  induced  him 
to  take  passage  for  Porto  Cabello,  with  assurances  that  he 
would  there  find  some  desirable  means  of  getting  a  living. 
Disappointed  in  this,  and  having  spent  the  little  money  given 
him  by  his  brother,  and  sold  or  pawned  the  greater  part  of 
his  clothing,  his  next  project  was  to  proceed  to  the  United 
States,  and  he  applied  to  Mr.  Parker  for  a  passage  in  the 
only  American  vessel  in  port.  He  was  told  that  the 
ship  might  not  leave  the  harbor  for  months,  if  ever.  But 
as  he  was  suffering  from  want,  he  was  permitted  to  make 
it  his  home  until  he  could  find  some  other  resource.  I 
did  not  allow  myself  to  doubt  the  truth  of  any  portion  of 
Strictland's  narrative.  I  confided  to  him  the  particulars  of 
my  own  situation.  We  conversed  freely  in  regard  to  the 
future,  and  formed  a  resolution  to  keep  together,  and  em- 
brace the  first  opportunity  of  getting  to  the  United  Stale's. 

When  I  had  been  about  a  week  in  Porto  Cabello,  I  was 
attacked  by  a  severe  and  dangerous  illness.  I  suffered 
severe  pains  incessantly,  which  deprived  me  of  sleep.  I  was 
losing  my  strength  daily,  and  at  length,  without  any  rel- 
axation of  the  symptoms,  was  hardly  able  to  crawl  about 
the  ship.  I  received  no  sympathy  or  medical  aid  from  the 
captain  or  mate,  and  could  not  even  obtain  a  little  rice  or 
gruel,  or  any  other  food  than  the  coarse  viands  that  were 
served  out  to  the  ship's  company. 

Strictland  was  with  me  whenever  he  could  be  spared 
from  his  regular  duties,  and  gave  me  encouragement  and 
aid.  But  I  could  not  conceal  from  myself  that  my  illness 
was  becoming  a  serious  matter.  I  accidentally  heard  two 
or  three  of  the  crew  conversing  about  my  sickness  one  day, 
and,  to  my  great  consternation,  they  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  I  was  rapidly  sinking,  and  they  would  soon  be 
rid  of  my  company. 


PORTO    CABELLO.  251 

"  Yaw,"  muttered  in  thick  guttural  tones  a  thick-headed 
Dutchman,  who  had  manifested  towards  me  particular  dis- 
like, "in  one  or  two  days  more,  at  farthest,  we  shall  help 
to  carry  him  ashore  in  a  wooden  box."  And  a  pleasant 
smile  for  a  moment  lighted  up  his  ugly  features. 

"  You  lie,  you  heartless  vagabond ! "  I  exclaimed,  giving 
a  loose  to  my  indignation ;  "  you  won't  get  rid  of  me  so 
easily  as  you  think.  I  will  live  and  laugh  at  you  yet,  were 
it  only  to  disappoint  your  expectations." 

Nevertheless,  the  opinion  which  my  unsympathizing 
shipmates  thus  volunteered  came  over  me  like  an  electric 
shock.  It  sounded  in  my  ears  like  a  sentence  of  death. 
I  crawled  along  the  lower  deck  into  the  forecastle,  and 
from  the  bottom  of  my  chest  took  a  small  looking-glass 
which  I  had  not  used  for  weeks.  I  saw  the  reflection  of 
my  features,  and  started  back  aghast.  The  transformation 
was  appalling.  The  uncombed  locks,  the  sunken  eyes,  the 
pallid,  fleshless  cheeks,  the  sharp  features,  and  the  anxious, 
agonized  expression  caused  by  continual  pain, —  all  seemed 
to  have  been  suddenly  created  by  the  spell  of  some  malig- 
nant enchanter.  I  did  not  venture  to  take  a  second  look, 
and  no  longer  wondered  at  the  gloomy  prediction  of  my 
companions. 

The  next  day  I  found  myself  growing  worse,  and  the 
pain  increasing;  and,  notwithstanding  my  determination  to 
recover  and  falsify  the  prediction  of  my  unfeeling  shipmates, 
I  should  undoubtedly  have  followed  the  dark  path  which 
thousands  of  my  young  countrymen,  sick  and  neglected 
in  a  foreign  land,  had  trod  before,  had  I  not  received  aid 
from  an  unexpected  quarter.  I  was  crawling  along  the 
main  deck,  near  the  gangway,  when  Mr.  Parker,  the  super- 
cargo, came  on  board.  As  he  stepped  over  the  gunwale, 
my  appearance,  fortunately  for  me,  arrested  his  attention. 
He  inquired  my  name,  examined  my  condition,  and  seemed 
greatly  shocked  at  the  brutal  neglect  I  had  experienced. 
He  told  m'e  to  be  of  good  courage ;  that  it  was  not  yet  too 


252  JACK  IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

late  to  arrest  the  progess  of  my  disease.  He  commenced 
his  healing  operations  by  administering  a  copious  dose  of 
laudanum,  which  immediately  relieved  my  pain  and  threw 
me  into  a  refreshing  sleep.  He  furnished  me  with  other 
medicines,  ordered  me  food  suitable  to  my  condition,  and 
in  a  few  days,  owing  to  his  humanity,  care,  and  skill,  I  no 
longer  suffered  excepting  from  debility. 

When  Porto  Cabello  was  recaptured  by  the  Spaniards,  in 
1812,  there  was  a  number  of  French  families  in  the  place, 
who,  having  sympathized  with  the  Patriots,  received  an 
intimation  that  their  presence  would  be  no  longer  tolerat- 
ed ;  that  they  must  shift  their  quarters  forthwith.  They 
accordingly  purchased  a  small  schooner,  called  "La  Con- 
cha," put  all  their  movable  property  on  board,  procured 
a  French  captain  and  mate,  and  prepared  to  embark  for 
St.  Bartholomew.  When  I  heard  of  the  expedition,  two 
men  were  required  to  complete  the  crew.  I  conferred 
with  Strictland;  we  both  regarded  it  as  an  opportunity 
too  favorable  to  be  neglected,  imagining  that  if  we  could 
reach  St.  Bartholomew,  a  neutral  port,  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  getting  a  passage  to  the  United  States.  We 
lost  no  time  in  calling  on  the  captain,  and  offered  to  work 
our  passage  to  St.  Bartholomew  —  an  offer  which  was 
gladly  accepted. 

I  expended  a  few  of  my  Spanish  dollars  in  providing 
necessaries  for  our  voyage,  which  might  be  of  two  or  three 
weeks'  duration,  and  when  the  time  appointed  for  the  de- 
parture of  the  schooner  arrived,  we  bade  farewell  to  the 
Charity,  and  in  a  few  hours,  while  sailing  close-hauled  on  a 
wind  to  the  northward,  beheld  the  fortifications  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor  lessening  in  the  distance. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Porto  Cabello  was  once 
the  theatre  of  one  of  the  most  gallant  exploits  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  naval  warfare.  A  mutiny  took  place  on 
board  the  British  frigate  Ilermione,  in  1799,  while  on  the 
West  India  station,  in.  consequence,  it  was  said,  of  the 


POKTO    CABELLO.  253 

harsh  treatment  which  the  crew  received.  The  officers 
were  murdered  and  thrown  overboard.  Captain  Pigot, 
who  commanded  the  frigate,  after  receiving  several  wounds, 
retreated  to  his  cabin,  and  defended  himself  desperately 
with  his  dirk  until  he  was  bayoneted  by  the  mutineers. 

The  frigate,  thus  taken  possession  of,  was  carried  into 
Porto  Cabello  and  delivered  up  to  the  Spanish  authorities ; 
Spain  at  that  time  being  at  war  with  Great  Britain.  The 
red-handed  mutineers  dispersed,  and  many  of  them  subse- 
quently returned  to  their  native  country,  but  were  from 
time  to  time  arrested,  tried  by  court  martial,  and  ex- 
ecuted. 

Indeed,  no  pains  or  expense  were  spared  by  the  British 
government  to  bring  these  mutineers  to  punishment.  They 
were  sought  for  in  every  part  of  the  world ;  hunted  out 
of  their  hiding-places,  and  hanged.  No  false  philanthropy 
interfered  in  their  behalf,  and  threw  obstacles  in  the  swift 
and  sure  career  of  justice.  Very  few,  if  any,  escaped  the 
terrible  punishment  due  to  their  crimes — mutiny  and  mur- 
der on  the  high  seas.  The  effect  of  the  example,  which  is 
the  object  of  capital  punishment,  was  most  salutary.  Xo 
mutiny  has  occurred  in  the  British  navy  since  that  time. 

The  Hermione  was  regarded  as  a  lawful  prize  by  the 
Spaniards,  notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  manner  by 
which  the  ship  fell  into  their  hands.  She  was  refitted; 
a  crew  of  four  hundred  men,  including  marines,  were  put 
on  board,  and,  ready  for  a  cruise,  she  lay  at  anchor  near 
the  entrance  of  the  harbor  and  within  musket  shot  of 
the  principal  fortifications,  which  mounted  two  hundred 
cannon. 

These  facts  became  known  to  Captain  Hamilton,  who 
commanded  the  British  frigate  Surprise,  cruising  on  that 
coast,  and  that  gallant  officer  conceived  the  daring  design 
of  boarding  the  Hermione  with  a  portion  of  his  crew,  and 
cutting  her  out  in  spite  of  opposition,  while  she  was  lying 
under  the  guns  of  this  heavy  fortification.  Such  an  enter- 

22 


254  JACK  IN  THE   FORECASTLE. 

prise  could  only  have  been  conceived  by  a  man  of  unusual 
intrepidity ;  but  it  was  planned  with  a  degree  of  prudence 
and  cool  calculation  which  insured  success. 

After  having  well  observed  the  situation  of  the  frigate, 
Captain  Hamilton  with  one  hundred  men  left  the  Sur- 
prise in  boats  soon  after  midnight  on  the  25th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1800.  On  approaching  the  Hermione  the  alarm  was 
given  by  the  frigate's  launch,  which,  armed  with  a  twenty- 
four  pounder,  was  rowing  guard  around  the  ship.  After 
beating  off  the  launch,  Captain  Hamilton,  at  the  head  of 
fifty  chosen  men,  armed  chiefly  with  cutlasses,  boarded  the 
Hermione  on  the  bows.  As  soon  as  he  and  his  bold  com- 
panions obtained  foothold,  the  boat's  crews  cut  the  cables 
and  commenced  towing  the  Hermione  into  the  offing. 
Thus,  while  the  battle  was  raging  on  the  ship's  decks,  she 
Was  rapidly  towed  further  from  the  batteries  which  had 
now  commenced  firing,  and  nearer  to  the  Surprise,  which 
ship  stood  close  in  to  the  harbor. 

A  bloody  contest  for  the  possession  of  the  ship  took 
place  on  her  decks.  The  Spaniards  fought  bravely ;  but 
the  English,  forming  a  front  across  the  main  deck  after 
they  got  possession  of  the  forecastle,  drove  them  aft,  where, 
after  a  desperate  struggle  on  the  quarter-deck  or  poop,  the 
Dons  were  all  killed  or  driven  overboard.  The  fight  was 
still  continued  on  the  gun-deck,  where  a  dreadful  carnage 
took  place ;  and  it  was  only  after  an  obstinate  combat  of 
an  hour  and  a  half  from  the  commencement  of  the  ac- 
tion, that  the  Spaniards  called  for  quarter,  being  entirely 
subdued. 

In  this  action  the  British  had  no  men  killed,  and  only 
fourteen  wounded,  among  whom  was  Captain  Hamilton, 
who  fought  boldly  at  the  head  of  his  men.  The  Spaniards 
had  ninety-seven  men  wounded,  most  of  them  severely, 
and  one  hundred  and  nineteen  killed !  It  would  thus  seem 
that  while  the  courage  of  both  parties  was  about  equal, 
the  English  had  a  va,st  superiority  in  physical  power. 


PORTO  CABELLO. 

The  Spaniards,  unable  to  oppose  to  their  fierce  enemies 
other  than  a  feeble  resistance,  bravely  submitted  to  be 
killed;  and  the  English  sailors  hacked  and  hewed  them 
down  until  they  cried  for  quarter. 

The  little  La  Concha,  in  which  I  was  now  embarked, 
was  a  dull-sailing  vessel  with  poor  accommodations,  but 
crowded  with  living  beings ;  and  when  beneath  the  deck, 
they  were  necessarily  stowed  away  in  the  most  miscellane- 
ous manner,  resembling  herrings  packed  in  a  barrel.  In 
addition  to  the  officers  and  crew,  we  had  about  thirty  pas- 
sengers, men,  women,  and  children,  exiles  from  the  land 
of  their  adoption ;  driven  forth  by  the  hand  of  power  to 
seek  a  place  of  refuge  in  unknown  countries.  In  this  case, 
there  was  a  great  loss  of  property  as  well  as  of  comfort, 
and  the  future  must  have  presented  to  this  little  band  of 
exiles  an  uninviting  picture. 

The  feelings  of  people  born  in  any  other  land  than 
France,  would  have  been  deeply  affected  by  such  a  change ; 
and  unavailing  regrets,  bitter  complaints,  and  gloomy  spec- 
\ilations  in  regard  to  the  future,  would  have  cast  a  cloud 
over  their  spirits,  and  repressed  aught  like  gayety  or  cheer- 
fulness during  the  passage.  But  our  passengers  were 
truly  French;  and  "m'ue  la  bagatelle'"  was  their  motto. 
Although  subjected  to  many  inconveniences  during  a  long 
and  tedious  passage,  and  deprived  of  comforts  to  which 
they  had  been  accustomed,  yet  without  resorting  for  con- 
solation to  the  philosophy  of  the  schools,  there  was  no 
murmuring  at  their  unhappy  lot.  They  seemed  not 
merely  contented,  but  gay;  they  even  made  a  jest  of 
their  misfortunes,  indulged  in  practical  jokes,  fun,  and 
frolic,  and  derived  amusement  from  every  occurrence 
which  took  place. 

On  this  passage,  Strictland,  who  entertained  the  preju- 
dices of  his  nation  against  the  French,  lost  no  opportunity 
to  manifest  his  contempt  of  the  passengers,  and  commented 
on  their  proceedings  in  a  manner  ill-natured  and  unjust. 


256  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

He  more  than  once  exhibited  a  surliness  and  incivility  in 
his  demeanor,  which  is  supposed  to  be  a  prominent  feature 
in  the  character  of  a  burly  Briton ;  and  was  far  from  being 
a  favorite  with  any  of  the  passengers  or  the  captain.  On 
more  than  one  occasion  a  misunderstanding  occurred  be- 
tween Strictland  and  myself,  and  at  one  time  it  approached 
an  open  rupture. 

We  were  both  familiar  with  Smollet's  "  Adventures  of 
Roderick  Random,"  and  compared  ourselves,  with  our  ram- 
bles about  the  world  in  quest  of  a  living,  to  the  hero  of 
that  celebrated  work  and  his  faithful  friend  Strap ;  with 
this  difference,  however,  that  while  each  of  us  applied  to 
himself  the  part  of  Roderick,  neither  was  willing  to  assume 
the  humble  character  of  the  honest  but  simple-minded 
Strap.  In  the  course  of  our  discussion  Strictland  lost  his 
temper,  and  indulged  in  language  towards  myself  that  I 
was  not  disposed  to  pass  lightly  over.  The  next  moraine, 
the  little  uninhabited  island  of  Orchilla  being  in  sight,  the 
wind  light  and  the  weather  pleasant,  the  boat  was  launched, 
and  the  mate  with  several  passengers,  urged  by  curiosity, 
embarked,  and  were  pulled  ashore  by  Strictland  and  my- 
self. While  the  other  parties  were  rambling  about,  mak- 
ing investigations,  we,  more  pugnaciously  inclined,  retired 
to  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  and  prepared  to  settle 
all  our  disputes  in  a  "bout  at  fisticuffs,"  —  an  ungentlemanly 
method  of  settling  a  controversy,  but  one  which  may  afford 
as  much  satisfaction  to  the  vanquished  party  as  a  sword- 
thrust  through  the  vitals,  or  pistol  bullet  in  the  brain. 

After  exchanging  a  few  left-handed  compliments  with 
no  decided  result,  our  pugilistic  amusement  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  unauthorized  influence  of  two  of  the  pas- 
sengers, who  had  been  searching  for  shell-fish  among  the 
rocks.  What  the  result  of  the  contest  would  have  been 
I  will  not  venture  to  conjecture.  I  was  but  a  tyro  in  the 
art,  while  Strictland  prided  himself  in  his  scientific  skill, 
and  gave  an  indication  of  the  purity  of  his  tastes  by  boast- 


PORTO  CABELLO.  257 

ing  of  having  once  acted  in  the  honorable  capacity  of  bot- 
tle-holder to  a  disciple  of  the  notorious  Tom  Crib,  on  a 
very  interesting  public  occasion. 

After  we  had  been  about  a  fortnight  on  our  passage, 
daily  beating  to  windward  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  we  were 
fallen  in  with  by  a  British  sloop-of-war.  The  sight  of  this 
vessel,  and  a  knowledge  of  her  character,  caused  a  sensa- 
tion throughout  the  schooner.  Doubts  were  very  natu- 
rally entertained  in  regard  to  the  treatment  the  passengers 
would  receive  at  the  hands  of  their  much-dreaded  enemy. 
They  were  Frenchmen,  and  all  the  property  on  board  was 
French  property;  and  notwithstanding  they  sailed  under 
Spanish  colors,  it  was  predicted  by  some,  who  entertained 
exaggerated  notions  of  the  rapacity  of  Englishmen  and 
their  hatred  of  the  French,  that  the  flag  of  Spain  would 
not  serve  as  a  protection;  but  that  their  little  property 
would  be  seized  upon,  and  themselves  detained  and  con- 
fined as  prisoners  of  war.  Others,  however,  cherished  a 
different  opinion,  and  had  confidence  in  that  magnanimity 
which  has  always  been  claimed  by  the  English  as  one  of 
their  national  attributes. 

It  was  an  anxious  moment ;  and  a  general  council  of 
war  was  held  among  the  passengers  on  the  deck  of  the 
schooner,  in  which,  as  at  a  conclave  of  parrots,  few  seemed 
to  listen  while  every  one  was  eager  to  speak.  The  con- 
sultution,  however,  produced  no  result.  Indeed,  nothing 
could  be  done,  excepting  to  wait,  and  bow  submissively  to 
the  decrees  of  the  conqueror. 

My  friend  and  companion,  Strictland,  was  really  in 
greater  jeopardy  than  either  of  the  Frenchmen.  If  his 
name  and  station  had  been  discovered,  he  would  have 
found  snug  quarters  during  the  term  of  his  natural  life ; 
nothing  could  have  saved  him  from  impressment.  The 
French  passengers,  aware  of  the  fact,  with  the  kindest 
feelings  took  active  measures  to  prevent  such  a  misfortune. 
They  changed  his  name,  clad  him  in  Frenchified  garments, 

22* 


258  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

bound  a  many-colored  handkerchief  around  his  head,  put 
a  cigarette  in  his  mouth,  and  cautioned  him  against  reply- 
ing in  his  native  tongue  to  questions  that  might  be  asked. 
Thus  travestied,  it  was  boldly  predicted  that  he  would  not 
be  taken  for  an  Englishman. 

The  sloop-of-war  sent  a  boat  alongside,  commanded  by 
a  lieutenant,  who  seemed  surprised  at  the  singular  group 
by  which  he  was  surrounded  on  reaching  the  schooner's 
deck.  To  his  questions,  replies  were  received  from  a  dozen 
different  mouths.  He  was  a  pleasant,  gentlemanly  officer, 
and  seemed  greatly  amused  at  his  reception.  At  length 
he  inquired  for  the  captain,  and  on  his  being  pointed  out, 
addressed  his  questions  to  him,  and  repressed  the  officious 
interference  of  others  until  he  received  a  full  explanation 
of  the  character  of  the  vessel  and  the  intent  of  the  voy- 
age. The  statements  of  the  captain  were  confirmed  by 
papers  and  documents,  which  left  no  doubt  of  their  truth. 
The  lieutenant,  after  obtaining  all  necessary  information, 
returned  to  the  ship  to  report  the  result  of  his  visit.  He 
did  not  tarry  long,  and  when  he  came  back  relieved  the 
apprehensions  of  the  passengers  by  assuring  them  that  the 
commander  of  the  sloop  of  war,  far  from  seeking  to  injure 
or  embarrass  them,  felt  for  their  misfortunes  and  would 
gladly  render  them  any  assistance  in  his  power.  He  then 
went  among  the  passengers,  conversed  with  them,  asked 
each  one  his  name  and  country,  and  took  other  means  to 
prevent  deception.  When  he  came  to  Strict-land,  and 
asked  his  name,  the  reply  was,  "Jean  Fourchette,"  in  a 
bold  tone. 

"Are  you  a  Frenchman?"  asked  the  officer. 

"  Yes,  5t>,"  was  Strictland's  reply,  in  a  most  anti-Gallican 
accent. 

The  officer  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  but  without 
asking  more  questions  passed  on  to  others. 

I  felt  somewhat  apprehensive  that  the  British  ship  wns 
short-manned,  and  that  the  officer  might  cast  a  longing 


POETO   CABELLO.  2f>9 

look  on  me,  and  consider  me  worthy  of  serving  his  "  most 
gracious  majesty ; "  in  which  case  I  intended  to  fall  back 
on  my  American  protection,  which  I  regarded  as  my  rich- 
est treasure,  and  insist  upon  going  to  an  English  prison 
rather  than  sling  my  hammock  in  a  man-of-war.  But  no 
questions  were  asked,  as  I  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
crew,  which,  without  counting  Strictland,  consisted  of  only 
three  individuals;  and  the  idea  of  reducing  that  small 
number  by  impressment  was  not  entertained. 

The  officer,  before  he  left  the  schooner,  with  great  glee 
communicated  to  our  passengers  an  important  piece  of 
intelligence,  which  was  more  gratifying  to  British  than  to 
French  ears.  A  great  and  decisive  battle  had  been  fought 
at  Salamanca,  in  Spain,  between  the  combined  armies 
under  Wellington  and  the  French  army  under  Marmont. 
It  resulted  in  the  signal  defeat  of  the  French  marshal, 
who  was  severely  wounded.  The  officer  left  some  Eng- 
lish newspapers  on  board  the  schooner  containing  the  de- 
tails of  the  battle. 

The  difficulty  which  had  occurred  between  Strictland  and 
myself,  and  which  at  one  time  threatened  to  sever  forever 
all  friendly  ties,  was  amicably  settled  before  we  arrived  at 
St.  Bartholomew.  Policy  undoubtedly  pointed  out  to  the 
Englishman  the  importance  of  continuing  our  friendly  rela- 
tions while  my  money  lasted;  and  he  apologized  in  a  hand- 
some manner  for  what  I  considered  his  rude  and  uncivil 
conduct.  Again  we  became  sworn  friends  and  brothers, 
and  resolved  that  the  same  fortune,  good  or  evil,  should 
betide  us  both. 

We  arrived  at  St.  Bartholomew  about  the  20th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1812,  and  landed  our  passengers  in  good  order, 
well-conditioned,  and  in  tip-top  spirits,  after  a  passage  of 
twenty  days. 


260  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

II  A  i:  I)     TIMES     IN     ST.     BARTHOLOMEW. 

WE  found  the  harbor  of  St.  Bartholomew  full  of  vessels 
belonging  to  almost  every  nation.  Among  them  were  sev- 
eral American  clippers  taking  in  cargo  for  the  United 
States ;  also  vessels  under  Swedish  colors  bound  in  the 
same  direction.  From  these  facts  we  anticipated  little 
difficulty  in  procuring  a  passage  to  that  country,  on  whose 
shores  my  friend,  the  young  Englishman,  as  well  as  myself, 
was  anxious  to  stand.  But,  although  there  were  many 
vessels  in  port,  there  were  also  many  sailors;  far  more 
than  could  be  provided  with  employment;  men,  who  by 
shipwreck  or  capture,  had  been  set  adrift  in  different  parts 
of  the  Windward  Islands,  and  had  flocked  to  St.  Barthol- 
omew with  a  view  to  get  a  passage  to 

"  The  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

Strictland  and  myself  remained  in  the  schooner  La 
Concha  a  couple  of  days,  until  the  cargo  was  discharged, 
when  the  French  captain,  taking  me  aside,  told  me  he  was 
making  arrangements  to  proceed  on  a  trip  to  Point  Petre, 
in  Guadaloupe,  and  was  desirous  I  should  remain  writh  him 
as  one  of  the  crew  on  regular  wages.  But  as  he  positively 
refused  to  receive  my  companion  on  the  same  terms,  or  on 
any  terms  whatever,  and,  moreover,  expressed  an  opinion 
of  his  character  by  no  means  favorable,  and  which  I  be- 
lieved to  be  unjust,  I  declined  his  proposition  as  a  matter 
of  course. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  seek  some  abiding  place  on 
shore  until  we  could  find  means  of  getting  from  the  island. 
But  on  inquiry  I  ascertained  that  the  expenses  of  board, 
even  of  the  humblest  character,  were  so  great  that  our 


HAED    TIMES    IN    ST.    BARTHOLOMEW.  261 

slender  resources,  the  few  dollars  that  remained  of  my  sin- 
gle month's  pay,  would  not  warrant  such  an  extravagant 
proceeding  as  a  resort  to  a  boarding  house.  I  convinced 
Strictland  of  the  importance  of  the  strictest  economy  in 
our  expenditures ;  succeeded  in  persuading  a  good-natured 
Swede,  who  kept  a  small  shop  near  the  careenage,  to  allow 
my  chest  to  remain  with  him  a  few  days,  and  we  under- 
took to  "  rough  it "  as  well  as  we  could. 

In  the  morning  we  usually  took  a  survey  of  the  vessels 
in  the  harbor,  hoping  to  find  employment  of  some  kind  or 
a  chance  to  leave  the  island.  When  hungry,  we  bought, 
for  a  small  sum,  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a  half  dozen  small 
fish,  jacks  or  ballahues,  already  cooked,  of  which  there 
was  always  a  bountiful  supply  for  sale  about  the  wharves, 
and  then  retiring  to  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  seated  in 
the  shade  of  one  of  the  few  trees  in  that  neighborhood, 
we  made  a  hearty  and  delicious  repast.  The  greatest 
inconvenience  to  which  we  were  subjected  was  a  want  of 
water.  There  was  a  great  scarcity  of  that  "  necessary  of 
life  "  in  the  island,  and  a  drink  of  water,  when  asked  for, 
was  frequently  refused.  More  than  once,  when  hard 
pressed  by  thirst,  I  entered  a  grog  shop  and  paid  for  a  glass 
of  liquor  in  order  to  obtain  a  refreshing  draught  of  the 
pure  element. 

At  night,  after  walking  through  the  streets  and  listening 
to  the  gossip  of  the  sailors  collected  in  groups  in  the 
streets,  we  retired  to  some  lonely  wharf,  and  throwing 
ourselves  down  on  a  pile  of  soft  pine  boards,  and  gather- 
ing our  jackets  around  us,  and  curtained  by  the  starry 
canopy  of  heaven,  we  slept  as  soundly  and  sweetly  as  if 
reposing  on  the  most  luxurious  couch. 

But  even  this  cheap  mode  of  lodging  was  attended  with 
inconveniences.  One  night  a  shower  of  rain  came  suddenly 
upon  us.  This  was  an  event  unfrequent  and  consequently 
unexpected,  and  our  garments  were  thoroughly  soaked  be- 
fore we  could  realize  our  misfortune.  As  this  happened 


262  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  there  was  nothing  left 
but  to  wait  patiently  several  hours,  wet  to  the  skin  and 
shivering  in  the  night  air,  until  our  clothing  was  dried  by 
the  rays  of  the  sun  and  warmth  restored  to  our  frames. 

One  night  an  unprincipled  knave  undertook  to  rob  us 
while  we  slept.  Fortunately  for  us  he  began  his  work 
with  Strictland,  and  took  possession  of  the  few  effects 
which  his  pockets  contained  before  my  companion  awoke 
and  gave  the  alarm.  On  hearing  his  cry,  I  started  to  my 
feet  and  seized  the  fellow,  who,  being  nearly  naked,  eluded 
my  grasp  and  ran.  We  chased  him  the  length  of  a  street, 
when  he  entered  an  alley  and  disappeared  among  a  row  of 
dilapidated  buildings. 

After  these  events  we  considered  it  expedient  to  change 
our  capacious  lodging  house  for  one  of  more  limited  di- 
mensions, where  we  might  be  screened  from  a  shower  and 
concealed  from  the  prying  eyes  of  a  robber.  We  proceeded 
the  next  day  in  quest  of  such  an  accommodation,  and 
after  a  careful  survey  of  various  localities,  our  labors  were 
crowned  with  success.  We  found  on  the  northern  side  of 
the  harbor  an  old  boat  that  had  been  hauled  up  on  the 
beach  and  turned  bottom  upwards.  This  furnished  us 
with  a  capital  lodging  house.  We  took  up  our  quarters 
there  every  night  without  asking  permission  of  the  owner, 
and  were  never  disturbed  in  our  snug  domicile  after  we  laid 
ourselves  down  to  rest. 

It  may  be  asked  why  I  did  not  apply  to  the  American 
consul  for  assistance.  The  treatment  which  I  received 
from  the  agent  of  our  government,  when  in  distress,  at 
Liverpool,  created  on  my  mind  an  unfavorable  impression 
in  regard  to  that  class  of  officials,  and  the  reluctant  aid 
and  little  encouragement  which  those  of  my  countrymen 
met  with  who  applied  for  advice  and  assistance  to  the  con- 
sul at  St.  Bartholomew,  were  calculated  to  prevent  any 
application  on  my  part.  Besides,  I  had  entwined  my  for- 
tunes with  another — an  Englishman;  and  we  had  re- 
solved to  partake  of  weal  or  woe  together. 


HABD    TIMES    IN    ST.    BARTHOLOMEW.  263 

On  more  than  one  occasion  I  could  have  procured  a 
passage  for  myself  to  my  native  land  if  I  had  been  will- 
ing to  leave  Strictland.  My  "protection,"  as  well  as 
appearance,  furnished  indisputable  evidence  that  I  was  an 
American ;  but  Strictland  had  no  testimony  of  any  kind 
to  offer  in  favor  of  his  citizenship,  and  to  every  application 
for  a  passage  he  received  a  decided  shake  of  the  head, 
from  which  there  was  no  appeal. 

About  this  time  an  excitement  prevailed  among  the 
web-footed  gentry  in  St.  Bartholomew  in  relation  to  the 
impressment  of  seamen  by  British  authorities.  The  cruis- 
ers on  the  West  India  station  were  deficient  in  men  ;  and 
all  kinds  of  stratagems  were  regarded  as  justifiable  which 
would  be  likely  to  supply  the  deficiency.  British  ships 
and  brigs  of  war  were  often  seen  cruising  off  the  harbor 
of  St.  Bartholomew,  and  their  boats  were  sent  ashore  for 
intelligence  and  provisions.  It  became  known  to  some  of 
the  officers  that  there  was  a  large  number  of  seamen  in 
the  town  destitute  of  employment,  and  a  plot  was  devised 
to  kidnap  a  few  of  them,  and  do  them  a  good  turn  against 
their  will,  by  giving  them  board  and  lodging  gratis,  and  an 
opportunity  to  display  their  courage  by  fighting  the  ene- 
mies of  Great  Britain. 

A  shrewd  and  intelligent  English  officer,  who  could  tell 
a  good  story  and  make  himself  agreeable  in  a  grog  shop, 
disguised  in  the  plain  dress  of  a  common  sailor,  one  day 
got  admittance  to  a  knot  of  these  unsuspecting"  old  salts," 
and  by  his  liberality  and  good  humor  acquired  their  confi- 
dence. Under  some  plausible  pretext  he  induced  a  dozen 
or  fifteen  Dutchmen,  Swedes,  Britons,  and  Yankees  to 
accompany  him  to  a  wharf  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
harbor,  where  an  alarm  or  cries  for  succor  could  hardly  be 
heard  by  any  of  the  sailors  on  shore.  Instead  of  the  sport 
which  was  expected,  they  found  themselves  surrounded  by 
the  boat's  crew  of  a  man-of-war !  After  a  brief,  but  un- 
successful struggle,  they  were  all,  with  the  exception  of 


264  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

two,  hustled  into  the  boat  and  carried  off  in  triumph  on 
board  an  English  frigate.  Those  two  effected  their  escape 
by  making  good  use  of  their  legs,  and  their  account  of 
this  most  unjustifiable  but  successful  case  of  man-stealing 
created  a  feeling  of  hatred  against  the  ofiicers  of  British 
men-of-war,  which  manifested  itself  on  several  occasions, 
and  was  near  being  attended  with  serious  results. 

One  pleasant  morning,  an  American  clipper  brig  arrived 
at  St.  Bartholomew  from  the  United  States.  The  event 
was  soon  known  to  every  person  in  the  island,  and  caused 
quite  an  excitement.  When  a  boat  from  the  brig,  witli 
the  captain  on  board,  reached  the  landing-place,  a  crowd 
was  assembled  to  hear  the  news  and  inquire  into  the  re- 
sults of  the  war.  Englishmen  and  Americans  met  upon 
the  wharf  upon  the  most  friendly  footing,  and  jocularly 
offered  bets  with  each  other  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the 
intelligence  brought  by  this  arrival. 

The  captain  stepped  on  shore  and  was  besieged  on 
every  side.  "  What  is  the  news,  captain  ?  "  eagerly  in- 
quired half  a  dozen  individuals  in  the  same  breath. 

"Is  Canada  captured  by  the  Americans?"  shouted  an 
undoubted  Jonathan,  one  of  those  persevering,  restless 
mortals  of  whom  it  has  been  said  by  a  Yankee  girl , 

"  No  matter  where  his  home  may  he, 

What  flag  may  be  unfurled ; 
He'll  manage,  by  some  cute  device, 
To  whittle  through  the  world  !  " 

"  Has  there  been  any  naval  engagement  ?  Any  Ameri- 
can frigates  taken,  hey?"  inquired  a  genuine  native  of 
Albion,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  expectation. 

The  captain,  although  thus  suddenly  surrounded,  cap- 
tured, and  taken  possession  of,  seemed  more  amused  than 
annoyed  by  these  inquisitorial  proceedings,  and,  with  a 
clear  voice  and  a  good-humored  smile,  replied,  while  the 
tumult  was  hushed  and  every  ear  expanded  to  catch  the 
interesting  intelligence,  "  I  know  of  no  battles  that  have 


HARD    TIMES   LN    ST.   BARTHOLOMEW.  265 

been  fought  on  the  land  or  sea ;  but  just  before  I  left  New 
York,  intelligence  was  received  that  General  Hull,  the 
commander  of  the  American  forces  on  the  frontiers,  had 
surrendered  his  whole  army  to  the  enemy  at  Detroit,  with 
all  his  guns,  ammunition,  and  stores,  without  firing  a  gun! 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  scene  which  followed 
the  announcement  of  this  unexpected  intelligence,  —  the 
exultation  of  the  British,  and  the  mortification  and  wrath 
of  the  Americans.  Hull  was  stigmatized  by  his  country- 
men as  the  basest  of  cowards.  Curses,  both  loud  and  deep, 
were  heaped  upon  his  hoary  head.  Had  he  been  within 
the  grasp  of  those  who  listened  to  the  story  of  his  shame, 
a  host  of  armed  Englishmen  could  not  have  saved  him 
from  the  fury  of  the  Yankees. 

Occasionally  an  American  privateer  was  seen  in  the 
offing ;  and  the  boldness,  enterprise,  and  success  of  this 
class  of  vessels  in  crippling  the  commerce  of  Great  Britain 
among  the  islands,  created  astonishment  and  indignation 
among  the  loyal  subjects  of  "  his  majesty."  Rumors  were 
afloat  every  day  —  sometimes  false,  but  more  frequently 
true  —  of  some  deed  of  daring,  or  destruction  of  British 
property,  committed  in  that  quarter  by  American  private- 
armed  vessels. 

One  day,  a  small  drogher  arrived  from  the  English  island 
of  Antigua,  bringing  as  passengers  four  or  five  seamen, 
the  only  survivors  of  a  terrible  disaster  which  befel  one  of 
those  privateers  while  cruising  to  the  windward  of  Antigua. 
One  of  the  men  was  boatswain  of  the  vessel.  The  tale 
which  he  related  was  a  sad  one,  and  its  correctness  was 
confirmed  by  the  deep  emotion  which  the  narrator  and  his 
shipmates  manifested  and  by  the  tears  they  shed. 

The  captain  of  the  privateer  was  a  man  of  violent 
and  ungovernable  temper  and  drunken  habits.  He  had  a 
quarrel  every  day  with  some  of  his  officers  or  some  of  his 
men ;  and  one  Sunday  afternoon  a  wordy  contest  took 
place  between  the  captain  and  his  first  lieutenant,  both 

23 


266  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

being  well  primed  with  alcohol.  The  language  and  con- 
duct of  the  insulted  officer  was  such  as  to  provoke  the 
captain  to  madness.  He  raged  and  raved,  and  at  last 
struck  his  lieutenant,  and  gave  peremptory  orders  to  "  put 
the  rascal  in  irons." 

On  hearing  this  order  given,  but  before  it  could  be  exe- 
cuted, the  lieutenant  seized  a  loaded  pistol.  Instead  of 
shooting  his  brutal  commander  on  the  spot,  he  rushed 
down  the  steps  into  the  after  part  of  the  vessel,  and  un- 
doubtedly discharged  his  weapon  among  the  powder  in  the 
magazine  !  A  tremendous  explosion  followed,  which  blew 
the  privateer  to  fragments,  scattering  the  timbers  and 
planks,  and  the  legs,  arms,  and  bodies  of  the  crew,  in 
every  direction  !  The  shrieks  of  the  wounded,  the  strug- 
gles of  the  dying,  and  the  spectacle  of  horrors  which  those 
men  witnessed,  made  a  lasting  impression  on  their  minds. 

After  having  been  on  the  water  a  few  minutes,  almost 
stunned  by  the  explosion,  the  boatswain  and  some  of  his 
companions  succeeded  in  constructing  a  raft  from  the  float- 
ing planks ;  and  after  days  of  suffering  and  exposure,  with- 
out food,  and  almost  without  clothing,  the  survivors  were 
driven  ashore  on  the  island  of  Antigua,  where  they  were 
kindly  treated,  and  subsequently  sent  to  St.  Bartholomew, 
with  the  expectation  that  they  would  there  find  a  chance 
to  get  to  the  United  States. 

Strictland  and  myself  led  the  vagabond  kind  of  life  I 
have  described  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  My  purse  was 
gradually  growing  lighter,  and  it  became  evident  that  we 
must  soon  find  employment  or  starve.  We  formed  various 
plans  for  improving  our  condition,  neither  of  which  proved 
practicable  when  put  to  the  test.  One  of  these  was  to 
proceed  to  Tortola,  and  join  a  band  of  strolling  play  era 
that  wei'e  perambulating  the  islands,  and  attracting  admi- 
ration, if  not  money,  by  the  excellence  of  their  dramatic 
representations.  Strictland,  it  seemed,  besides  haAring 
been  a  hanger-on  at  the  "  Fives  Court,"  had  served  occa- 


HARD    TIMES    IN    ST.    BARTHOLOMEW.  267 

sionally  as  a  supernumerary  at  Covent  Garden  Theatre. 
He  could  sing  almost  any  one  of  Dibdin's  songs  in  imita- 
tion of  Incledon,  in  a  manner  to  astonish  an  audience; 
and  he  flattered  my  vanity  by  assuring  me  that  I  should 
make  a  decided  hit  before  an  intelligent  audience  as 
"  Young  Norval."  But  this  project  failed  for  want  of 
means  to  carry  us  to  the  theatre  of  action. 

One  morning,  while  looking  about  the  wharves,  we 
learned  that  the  brig  Gustavus,  a  vessel  under  Swedish 
colors,  supposed  to  belong  to  St.  Bartholomew,  was  mak- 
ing preparations  for  a  voyage  to  the  United  States.  We 
lost  no  time  in  finding  the  captain  of  the  brig,  a  chuckle- 
headed,  crafty-looking  native  of  Sweden,  who  had  been  long 
a  resident  of  the  West  Indies.  I  represented  our  case  in 
the  most  forcible  language  I  could  command;  and  already 
aware  that  some  men  will  be  more  likely  to  do  a  kind  act 
from  motives  of  self-interest  than  the  promptings  of  a  be- 
nevolent heart,  I  told  him  we  were  anxious  to  proceed  to 
the  United  States,  and  if  he  would  promise  us  the  privi- 
lege of  working  our  passage,  we  would  go  on  board  forth- 
with and  assist  in  taking  in  cargo  and  getting  the  brig 
ready  for  sea. 

The  captain  listened  to  my  eloquence  with  a  good- 
natured  smile  and  accepted  our  offer.  He  promised  us  a 
passage  to  some  port  in  the  United  States  if  we  would  go 
on  board  the  brig  and  work  faithfully  until  she  sailed. 
We  abandoned  our  convenient,  I  had  almost  said  luxu- 
rious lodgings  beneath  the  boat  on  the  beach,  and,  with 
my  chest  and  what  other  baggage  we  possessed,  joyfully 
transferred  our  quarters  to  the  forecastle  of  the  brig  Gus- 
tavus. 

We  remained  on  board  the  brig  about  a  fortnight, 
faithfully  and  steadily  at  work,  stowing  cargo,  repair- 
ing and  setting  up  the  rigging,  and  bending  sails.  We 
congratulated  ourselves,  from  time  to  time,  on  our  good 
fortune  in  securing  such  a  chance,  after  so  much  dis- 


268  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

appointment  and  delay.  But  one  morning  I  was  alarmed 
at  finding  Strictland  had  been  suddenly  attacked  with 
violent  headache  and  other  symptoms  of  fever.  The 
mate  gave  him  some  medicine,  but  he  continued  unwell. 
In  the  afternoon  the  captain  came  on  board,  and  after  a 
conference  with  the  mate,  called  me  to  the  quarter-deck, 
and  told  me  my  companion  was  sick ;  that  he  did  not 
like  sick  people ;  and  the  sooner  I  took  him  ashore,  the 
better  for  all  parties.  "  The  brig,"  he  continued,  "  is  now 
ready  for  sea.  I  can  find  plenty  of  my  countrymen  who 
will  go  with  me  on  the  terms  you  offered,  and  of  course 
I  shall  not  give  either  of  you  a  passage  to  America.  If  I 
should  be  overhauled  by  an  English  man-of-war  while 
my  crew  is  composed  in  part  of  Americans  and  English- 
men, my  vessel  will  be  seized  and  condemned.  There- 
fore, you  had  better  clear  out  at  once,  and  take  your  sick 
friend  along  with  you." 

I  was  disgusted  with  the  cold-blooded  rascality  of  this 
man,  who  could  thus,  almost  without  a  pretext,  violate  a 
solemn  obligation  when  he  could  no  longer  be  benefited 
by  its  fulfilment. 

"As  for  taking  my  friend  ashore  in  his  present  con- 
dition," said  I,  "  with  no  place  in  which  to  shelter  him, 
and  no  means  of  procuring  him  medical  advice  or  support, 
that  is  out  of  the  question.  He  must  remain  where  he 
now  is  until  he  recovers  from  his  illness.  But  I  will  no 
longer  trouble  you  with  my  presence  on  board.  I  will 
gladly  quit  your  vessel  as  soon  as  you  pay  me  for  the 
work  I  have  done  during  the  last  fortnight." 

"  Work !  "  said  the  skipper ;  "  pay !  I  didn't  agree  to 
pay  you  for  your  work  !  You've  got  your  food  and 
lodging  for  your  work.  Not  one  single  rix  dollar  will  I 
pay  you  besides ! "  And  the  skipper  kept  his  word. 

After  giving  him,  in  very  plain  language,  my  opinion 
of  his  conduct,  I  went  into  the  forecastle  and  had  some 
conversation  with  Strictland.  I  found  him  more  com- 


HAED    TIMES   IN    ST.   BARTHOLOMEW.  269 

fortable,  and  told  him  my  determination  not  to  sleep 
another  night  on  board  the  brig,  but  that  I  would  visit 
him  the  next  morning.  I  called  a  boat  alongside,  and, 
swelling  with  indignation,  went  ashore.  I  proceeded  im- 
mediately to  an  American  clipper  brig  which  was  ready 
to  sail  for  a  port  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  I  represented 
to  the  captain  the  forlorn  situation  of  myself  and  com- 
panion, and  urged  him  to  give  us  a  passage  to  the  United 
States.  He  listened  patiently  to  my  representations,  but 
replied  that  he  had  already  consented  to  receive  a  larger 
number  of  his  distressed  countrymen  as  passengers  than 
he  felt  justified  in  doing,  and  that  he  had  neither  room 
nor  provisions  for  any  additional  number.  Seeing  that  I 
was  greatly  disappointed  at  his  refusal  of  my  application, 
he  finally  told  me  he  would  give  me  a  passage  to  America 
if  I  chose  to  go,  but  he  would  not  take  my  companion. 
This  was  reasonable  enough ;  but  I  could  not  think  of 
abandoning  Strictland,  especially  while  he  was  sick  and 
destitute,  and  resolved  to  forego  this  opportunity  and 
wait  for  more  propitious  times.  I  was  convinced  that 
when  I  got  to  the  bottom  of  Fortune's  constantly  re- 
volving wheel,  my  circumstances  must  improve  by  the 
revolution,  whichever  way  the  wheel  might  turn. 

Fatigued,  disappointed,  and  indignant  withal,  as  soon 
as  the  shades  of  evening  fell  I  proceeded  leisurely  around 
the  harbor  to  the  beach  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay, 
and  again  took  possession  of  my  comfortable  lodgings 
beneath  the  boat.  For  hours  I  lay  awake,  reflecting  on 
my  awkward  situation,  and  striving  to  devise  some  prac- 
ticable means  to  overcome  the  difficulties  by  which  I  was 
surrounded. 

I  awoke  at  a  somewhat  late  hour  the  next  morning, 
and  heard  the  unwonted  sounds  of  the  wind  whistling 
and  howling  around  my  domicile.  It  was  blowing  a  gale, 
the  beginning  of  a  hurricane.  I  hastened  with  eager 
steps  to  the  other  side  of  the  harbor,  where  I  found 

23  » 


270  JACK   IN   THE    FOEECASTLE. 

every  thing  in  confusion.  The  quays  were  thronged  with 
people,  and  every  man  seemed  busy.  Boats  were  passing 
to  and  from  the  vessels,  freighted  with  men  to  render 
assistance ;  carrying  off  cables  and  anchors,  and  in  some 
cases,  where  the  cargoes  had  been  discharged,  stone  bal- 
last, which  was  hastily  thrown  on  the  decks  and  thence 
transferred  to  the  hold,  —  fears  being  entertained  that  as 
the  hurricane  increased,  the  vessels  in  port  might  be 
forced  from  their  anchors,  and  wrecked  on  the  rocks  at 
the  entrance  of  the  haven,  or  driven  out  into  the  Carib- 
bean Sea. 

The  vessels  were  thickly  moored,  and  cables  already 
began  to  part  and  anchors  to  drag.  Sloops,  schooners, 
brigs,  and  ships  got  foul  of  each  other.  The  "hardest 
fend  off! "  was  the  cry,  and  cracking  work  commenced  ; 
and  what  with  the  howling  of  the  hurricane  gusts  as  they 
swept  down  the  mountain  side,  the  angry  roar  of  the 
short  waves,  so  suddenly  conjured  up,  as  they  dashed 
against  the  bows  of  the  different  vessels,  the  shouting 
of  the  seamen  mooring  or  unmooring,  the  orders,  inter- 
mingled with  fierce  oaths  and  threats,  of  the  masters  and 
mates  as  they  exerted  all  their  energies  to  avert  impend- 
ing disasters,  the  crashing  of  bulwarks,  the  destruction  of 
cutwaters  and  bowsprits,  and  the  demolition  of  spars,  a 
scene  of  unusual  character  was  displayed,  which,  to  a  per- 
son not  a  busy  actor,  was  brim  full  of  interest,  and  not 
destitute  of  sublimity. 

The  mate  of  the  Gustavus,  with  a  number  of  men,  was 
employed  in  carrying  off  from  the  shore  a  cable  and 
anchor,  the  small  bower  having  parted  at  the  beginning 
of  the  gale.  The  mate  represented  the  situation  of  the 
brig  as  somewhat  critical,  and  urged  me  to  render  as- 
sistance. Anxious  to  see  Strictland,  I  acceded  to  his 
request.  It  was  not  long  before  we  were  under  the 
bows  of  the  brig.  Men  were  engaged  in  carrying  out 
the  anchor  ahead  to  haul  her  away  from  a  cluster  of  ves- 


HARD    TIMES    IN    ST.    BARTHOLOMEW.  271 

sels  which  were  making  sad  havoc  with  her  quarter  rails, 
fashion  pieces,  and  gingerbread  work  on  the  stern. 

I  entered  the  forecastle,  shook  hands  with  Strictland, 
whose  health  had  greatly  improved,  with  prospect  of  a 
speedy  recovery,  and  bade  him  be  of  good  cheer,  —  that 
he  would  be  well  enough  on  the  morrow.  I  threw  on  a 
.chest  my  jacket  and  vest,  containing  what  little  money 
still  remained  on  hand,  and  my  "protection,"  and  thus 
airily  equipped,  reckless  of  the  clouds  of  mist  and  rain 
which  at  times  enveloped  the  whole  harbor,  went  on  deck 
and  turned  to  with  a  will,  notwithstanding  the  scurvy 
treatment  I  had  received  from  the  captain  the  day  before. 
When  I  reached  the  deck,  some  of  the  men  were  engaged 
in  heaving  in  the  new  cable ;  others  were  just  then  called 
aft  by  the  captain  to  assist  in  bearing  off  a  sloop  on  one 
quarter  and  a  schooner  on  the  other,  and  in  disengaging 
the  rigging  which  had  caught  in  the  spars.  The  sloop 
had  the  appearance  of  a  wreck.  The  laniards  of  the 
shrouds  had  been  cut  away  on  both  sides,  and  the  tall 
and  tapering  mast  was  quivering  and  bending  like  a 
whipstock,  from  the  action  of  the  wind  and  the  waves. 
One  of  the  cables,  it  was  supposed,  had  parted ;  the  sails, 
not  having  been  properly  furled,  were  fluttering  and 
struggling,  not  altogether  in  vain,  to  get  loose ;  and  the 
deck  on  both  sides  was  filled  with  shingle  ballast,  which 
had  been  brought  from  the  shore  early  that  morning,  in 
the  fear  that  the  sloop  might  be  driven  out  to  sea,  and 
had  not  been  thrown  into  the  hold. 

The  captain,  mate,  and  crew  of  the  sloop,  finding 
their  vessel  in  such  a  helpless  condition,  and  entertain- 
ing wholesome  fears  for  their  own  safety,  abandoned  the 
sloop  to  her  fate,  and  embarked,  with  all  their  baggage,  in 
the  last  boat  that  had  brought  off  ballast.  But  with  the 
last  boat  there  came  from  the  shore  a  young  man,  who, 
as  supercargo,  had  charge  of  the  vessel  and  cargo.  Aware 
to  some  extent  of  the  perilous  condition  of  the  sloop,  he 


272  JACK  IN   THE   FOEECASTLE. 

had  been  actively  engaged  during  the  morning  in  efforts 
to  prepare  his  vessel  to  encounter  the  disasters  incident 
to  a  hurricane.  As  he  stepped  on  the  deck  of  the  sloop, 
and  before  the  ballast  had  all  been  discharged  from  the 
boat,  the  officers  and  crew  were  eager  for  their  departure. 
The  captain  urged  the  supercargo  to  accompany  him  on 
shore,  and,  when  he  refused,  pointed  out  the  desperate 
condition  of  the  sloop,  assuring  him  that  in  a  few  minutes 
that  vessel,  held  by  a  single  anchor,  would  break  adrift 
and  be  wrecked  on  the  rocks,  when  probably  no  indi- 
vidual could  be  saved. 

The  name  of  the  supercargo  was  Bohun,  a  native  of 
the  "  Emerald  Isle."  He  peremptorily  refused  to  quit  the 
vessel,  saying,  as  he  stamped  his  foot  on  the  deck,  "  Here 
I  stand,  determined  to  sink  or  swim  with  the  sloop." 

"  Shove  off !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  ;  "  it  is  useless  to 
parley  with  a  fool !  " 

At  this  moment  the  crew  of  the  Gustavus  were  sum- 
moned aft  to  disengage  the  brig  from  the  sloop,  and  the 
captain  was  issuing  orders  in  his  most  effective  style. 
"Bear  off!  why  don't  you  bear  off!  Cut  away  the 
laniards  of  those  shrouds,  and  clear  the  main  chain- 
wales  !  Bring  an  axe  here,  and  cut  away  that  fore-stay 
which  is  foul  of  the  main  yard ! " 

Calling  now  to  Bohun,  who  stood  in  the  forward  part 
of  the  sloop  with  a  most  rueful  visage,  the  captain  said, 
"Why  don't  you  pay  out  cable,  you  lubber,  and  drop 
astern,  clear  of  the  brig  ?  " 

Bohun  stood  near  the  windlass,  and  his  appearance 
struck  me  as  being  singularly  interesting.  He  was 
dressed  like  a  gentleman ;  wore  a  green  frock  coat  and 
a  white  fur  hat ;  but  his  garments  were  saturated  with 
rain  and  the  spray.  He  seemed  resolute,  nevertheless, 
and  anxious  to  do  something,  but  he  knew  not  what  to 
do.  When  roughly  accosted  by  the  captain  of  the  brig, 
he  replied,  "  If  you'll  send  two  or  three  men  to  help  me, 


TREACHERY    AND   INGRATITUDE.  273 

I  will  soon  get  the  sloop  clear  of  your  vessel.  My  men 
have  all  deserted,  and  I  can  do  nothing  without  assist- 
ance." 

The  captain  of  the  Gustavus  shook  his  head  and  his 
fist  at  the  young  Irishman,  and  discharged  a  double- 
headed  oath  at  him,  within  point-blank  shot.  Never- 
theless, Bohun  continued,  "  If  you  will  let  me  have  one 
man,  only  one  man,  I  may  be  able  to  save  the  sloop." 

"  One  man ! "  replied  the  Swedish  captain,  screaming 
with  passion,  "how  do  you  expect  me  to  spare  even 
one  man,  when  my  own  vessel  may  strike  adrift  at  any 
moment  ?  Pay  out  cable,  and  be  hanged  to  you !  Pay 
out  cable,  and  drop  astern ! "  And  he  aimed  another 
ferocious  oath  at  the  unfortunate  supercargo. 

Poor  Bohun  was  no  sailor.  He  hardly  knew  the  dif- 
ference between  the  cable  and  the  cathead.  He  looked 
the  picture  of  distress,  almost  of  despair.  But  I,  being 
under  no  obligations  to  the  brutal  captain  of  the  brig-, 
was  at  liberty  to  obey  the  impulse  of  my  feelings.  I 
stepped  over  the  quarter  rail,  grasped  the  topmast  stay 
of  the  sloop,  swung  myself  on  the  jibboom,  and  in  the 
space  of  a  few  seconds  after  the  captain  had  concluded 
his  maledictions  I  was  standing  on  the  sloop's  forecastle, 
alongside  of  Bohun. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

TREACHERY    AND    INGRATITUDE. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  the  deck  of  the  sloop,  Bohun 
eagerly  grasped  me  by  the  hand.  "My  good  fellow," 
said  he,  "  tell  me  what  to  do,  and  I  will  go  about  it  at 
once ;  only  tell  me  what  to  do  first." 


274  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

I  cast  my  eye  around,  and  comprehended  in  a  moment 
the  exact  condition  of  the  little  vessel.  I  felt  that  a  great 
responsibility  had  suddenly  devolved  upon  me,  and  I 
determined  to  be  equal  to  the  task.  The  sloop,  pitching 
and  rolling,  and  jammed  between  two  much  larger  ves- 
sels, was  awkwardly  situated,  and  riding,  I  supposed,  at 
a  single  anchor.  About  half  the  cable  only  was  payed 
out ;  the  remainder  was  coiled  on  the  forecastle,  and  the 
end  was  not  secured. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  said  I,  recollecting  the  scene  near 
Charleston  bar,  "we  will  clinch  the  end  of  the  cable 
around  the  mast,  and  then  we  can  veer  out  as  much  as 
we  like,  without  risk  of  its  running  away." 

This  was  soon  done ;  and,  by  veering  cable,  the  sloop 
dropped  astern,  until  clear  of  all  other  vessels.  I  then 
found,  to  my  satisfaction,  that  neither  of  the  cables  had 
parted.  It  subsequently  appeared  that  the  small  bower 
anchor  had  merely  been  dropped  under  foot.  By  giving 
a  good  scope  to  both  cables,  the  sloop  was  as  likely  to 
ride  out  the  gale,  so  far  as  depended  on  ground  tackling, 
as  any  vessel  in  port.  The  sails,  which  had  been  loosed 
by  the  force  of  the  wind,  were  next  secured.  The  fore- 
sail was  furled  in  such  manner  that  it  could  be  cast  loose 
and  the  head  of  it  hoisted  at  a  minute's  notice.  I  greatly 
feared  that  some  light  vessel  might  be  forced  from  her 
moorings,  and  drift  athwart  our  bows,  and  thus  bear  the 
sloop  .away  from  her  anchors.  I  therefore  got  an  axe, 
and  placed  it  by  the  windlass,  with  the  design  of  cutting 
both  cables  when  such  an  act  might  be  considered  neces- 
sary for  our  safety,  hoist  the  head  of  the  foresail,  and  run 
out  to  sea. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  decks  were  in  a  deplorable  con- 
dition, lumbered  up  with  barrels,  boxes,  and  ballast.  The 
supercargo  commenced  on  one  side,  and  myself  on  the 
other,  to  throw  the  ballast  into  the  hold.  The  miscel- 
laneous articles  were  then  tumbled  down  in  an  uncere- 


TREACHERY  AND  INGRATITUDE.          275 

monious  manner,  and  the  hatchways  properly  secured. 
Our  attention  was  now  turned  to  the  mast,  which  had 
no  support  on  either  side,  and  was  in  an  awkward  and 
uneasy  position.  Bohun  looked  at  it  as  it  swayed  from 
starboard  to  port  and  from  port  to  starboard,  and  then 
looked  inquiringly  at  me. 

"  We  can  do  it ! "  said  I,  without  hesitation.  "  Have 
you  any  spare  rigging  on  board  ?  " 

"  Yes,  plenty !  down  in  the  forward  part  of  the  sloop." 

I  went  below,  and  found  a  coil  of  rope  which  I  believed 
would  answer  my  purpose.  I  brought  it  on  deck,  and 
began  tc  reeve  laniards  for  the  shrouds.  I  then  procured 
a  handspike  and  heaver,  and  went  to  work  setting  up  the 
rigging  by  a  "  Spanish  windlass."  I  had  only  once  seen 
an  operation  of  this  kind  performed ;  but  having  closely 
watched  the  process,  I  knew  I  could  perform  it  success- 
fully. In  this  matter  Bohun  rendered  me  valuable  aid. 
We  worked  diligently,  for  we  felt  that  every  minute  was 
of  importance  ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  shrouds  on 
both  sides  were  set  up,  and  the  mast  rendered  safe.  By 
the  time  this  work  was  accomplished  and  the  vessel  put 
in  good  condition,  the  forenoon  had  nearly  expired  ;  but 
the  hurricane  continued.  Several  vessels  had  already 
been  driven  from  their  anchors,  and  blown  broadside  on, 
through  the  whole  length  of  the  harbor,  and  dashed  to 
pieces  against  the  rocks. 

Through  the  mist  and  rain  I  kept  a  good  lookout  ahead, 
lest  some  of  those  unfortunate  craft  should  come  down 
upon  our  little  sloop.  And  at  one  time,  in  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon,  I  thought  the  crisis  had  come,  and  we 
should  be  obliged  to  go  to  sea.  A  large  schooner  which 
had  been  lying  snugly  at  anchor  at  the  extremity  of  the 
harbor  for  months,  with  no  person  on  board,  parted  her 
cable,  and  was  driven  by  the  wind  among  the  vessels  al- 
ready tossing  about  in  that  fearful  gale,  rubbing  against 
one,  crushing  in  the  bulwarks  of  another,  and  carrying 


276  JACK   IX   THE    FORECASTLE. 

alarm  and  terror  throughout  her  whole  route.  This  hulk 
had  passed  through  the  great  body  of  the  shipping  with- 
out causing  much  serious  or  irremediable  damage,  and 
now,  broadside  to  the  gale,  was  rapidly  wafted  towards 
the  sloop.  My  heart  beat  violently,  as,  axe  in  hand,  I 
watched  her  approach. 

I  raised  the  axe  above  my  head  to  give  the  fatal  blow, 
when  I  perceived  the  stern  of  the  schooner  swinging 
round.  I  dropped  the  axe,  and  called  upon  Bohun  to 
lend  me  a  hand  to  bear  off.  The  schooner  came  down 
almost  with  the  force  of  an  avalanche,  cleared  the  bow- 
sprit, as  I  anticipated,  but  struck  our  larboard  bow,  swung 
alongside,  caught  by  our  chain-wale  for  a  moment,  was 
freed  by  a  violent  gust  of  wind,  dropped  astern,  and  was 
soon  pounding  upon  the  ledges. 

Bohun,  who  had  never  before  been  an  actor  in  such 
scenes,  was  completely  exhausted  with  excitement  and 
fatigue.  He  loaned  me  a  pea-jacket,  for,  after  my  severe 
labors,  and  ablutions  in  fresh  and  salt  water,  I  was  shiver- 
ing with  cold ;  and  requesting  me  to  keep  a  good  lookout, 
went  below  long  before  the  gale  abated,  and  buried  his 
inquietudes  in  sleep. 

The  tempest  began  to  diminish  in  violence  soon  after 
the  shades  of  evening  fell ;  but  I  continued  on  my  watch 
until  nearly  midnight,  when  no  longer  doubting  that  the 
fierce  hurricane  had  exhausted  its  wrath,  I  also  left  the 
deck,  tunied  into  one  of  the  cabin  berths,  and  slept  soundly 
until  the  sun  was  above  the  horizon. 

When  Bohun  came  on  deck  he  assured  me  he  felt  under 
great  obligations  for  the  assistance  I  had  rendered  in  sav- 
ing the  sloop  from  destruction,  and  would  cheerfully 
make  me  any  compensation  in  his  power.  He  requested 
as  an  additional  favor  that  I  would  remain  by  the  sloop, 
as  there  was  valuable  property  on  board,  until  he  could 
make  some  necessary  arrangements.  I  gave  him  my 
promise.  He  then  called  a  boat  alongside,  and  proceeded 
pn  shore. 


TKEACHEUY  AND  INGRATITUDE.  "217 

I  was  anxious  to  visit  the  Gustavus  to  inquire  about 
Strictlund's  health,  and  consult  with  him  in  relation  to 
future  proceedings.  But  there  was  no  boat  at  this  time 
attached  to  the  sloop  ;  the  small  boat  broke  away  at  the 
commencement  of  the  gale,  and  was  never  afterwards 
seen ;  and  the  long-boat  was  taken  possession  of  by  the 
dastardly  Creoles  who  composed  the  officers  and  crew.  I 
knew,  however,  that  Strictland  was  well  provided  for,  and 
being  determined  to  visit  him  at  the  earliest  opportunity, 
gave  myself  no  further  anxiety,  but  patiently  awaited  the 
return  of  the  supercargo.  I  waited  in  vain ;  he  did  not 
arrive  that  day,  but  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  a 
boat  came  off  bringing  a  new  captain,  mate,  and  a  couple 
of  men.  My  short-lived  reign  was  at  an  end !  I  had 
tasted  the  sweets  of  despotic  authority  for  two  delicious 
days.  I  was  now  deposed,  and  about  to  be  resolved  into 
my  original  elements. 

It  was  too  late  to  visit  Strictland  that  night ;  but  the 
next  morning  after  breakfast,  I  obtained  permission  from 
the  new  captain  to  use  the  boat  for  a  short  time,  and  with 
a  light  and  joyous  heart  —  for  I  was  proud  of  my  success- 
ful exertions  during  the  gale  —  sculled  away  for  the  Gus- 
tavus. I  stepped  gayly  on  board,  and  encountered  the 
mate  as  I  passed  over  the  gangway.  He  greeted  me 
kindly,  but  expressed  surprise  at  my  appearance. 

"  How  is  Strictland  ?  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Has  he  entirely 
recovered?" 

"  Strictland ! "  replied  the  mate.  "  Have  you  not  seen 
him  ?  Don't  you  know  where  he  is  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  I,  somewhat  alarmed  at  his  man- 
ner, "if  he  is  not  on  board  the  brig ! " 

"  He  left  the  brig  this  morning,"  said  the  mate,  "  and  is 
now  on  board  that  vessel  in  the  offing,"  pointing  to  a 
rakish  clipper  brig  under  American  colors  that  was  out- 
side the  harbor,  and  seemed  to  be  flying  away  under  a 
cloud  of  canvas.  "  He  has  taken  his  chest  and  every  thing 

24 


278  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

belonging  to  you  both,"  continued  the  mate,  seeing  my 
astonishment.  "I  thought  you  were  with  him,  and  that 
the  whole  thing  was  arranged  by  mutual  agreement." 

I  was  thunderstruck  at  this  intelligence;  but  after  a 
moment's  reflection,  I  refused  to  believe  it.  "  It  must  be  a 
mistake,"  said  I ;  "  Strictland  would  not  go  off  to  America, 
and  leave  me  here  without  means  or  employment.  He 
cannot  be  so  ungrateful." 

The  mate  looked  as  if  he  thought  such  a  thing  were 
possible. 

"  And  if  he  has  availed  himself  of  a  chance  to  go  to 
the  United  States,  he  has  undoubtedly  left  the  chest,  which 
is  mine,  and  other  property  belonging  to  me  where  I  can 
easily  find  it." 

"  I  hope  you  may  find  it,"  said  the  mate  dryly,  "  but  I 
don't  believe  you  will." 

I  went  forward  and  conversed  with  the  men  who  had 
taken  Strictland  on  board  the  brig,  and  from  them  learned 
the  particulars  of  the  transaction.  It  appeared  that 
Strictland,  who  had  quite  recovered  his  health,  on  coming 
on  deck  that  memorable  morning,  perceived  the  clipper 
brig,  which  two  days  before  I  had  visited  without  a  suc- 
cessful result,  making  preparations  for  immediate  depart- 
ure. He  borrowed  the  boat,  and  accompanied  by  one  of 
the  crew  of  the  Gustavus,  went  on  board  the  American 
brig,  where  he  represented  himself  to  the.  captain  as  an 
American,  in  great  distress,  and  anxious  to  get  home.  He 
exhibited  a  "protection,"  mine  undoubtedly,  as  evidence 
of  his  assertions.  The  tale  of  his  misfortunes,  told  in 
eloquent  language,  albeit  it  must  have  smacked  strongly 
of  cockney  peculiarities,  melted  the  heart  of  the  worthy 
and  unsuspecting  sailor,  who  told  him  to  bring  his  things 
on  board  at  once,  and  he  would  give  him  a  passage  to  the 
United  States. 

Strictland  returned  to  the  Gustavus,  gathered  together 
not  only  every  thing  which'  belonged  to  him,  but  every 


TKEACHEUY    AND    INGRATITUDE.  279 

article  of  my  property  besides,  not  even  excepting  the 
garments  I  had  thrown  off  on  the  morning  of  the  hurri- 
cane. He  took  with  him  the  money  belonging  to  me 
which  was  still  unexpended,  and  also  what  I  regarded  as 
far  more  valuable  than  the  rest  of  my  property  —  my 
American  protection.  He  told  the  crew  this  was  done 
in  pursuance  of  an  arrangement  made  with  me  the  day 
previous  to  the  hurricane.  He  reached  the  brig  with  his 
"plunder"  just  as  the  anchor  was  hauled  to  the  cathead, 
and  the  brig  was  hanging  by  a  single  line  attached  to  a 
neighboring  vessel  until  the  topsails  were  sheeted  home. 
My  chest  was  transferred  to  the  deck  of  the  clipper,  and 
five  minutes  afterwards  the  brig  was  leaving  the  harbor 
under  full  sail,  bound  home. 

It  was  some  time  before  I  could  realize  the  extent  of 
my  misfortune,  and  persuade  myself  of  the  melancholy 
fact  that  I  was  a  stranger  in  a  foreign  port,  without  friends, 
while  every  item  of  my  goods  and  chattels  consisted  of 
an  old  pair  of  patched  canvas  trousers,  a  checked  shirt, 
and  a  dilapidated  straw  hat ;  I  had  not  even  a  pair  of 
shoes,  a  kerchief,  a  jack-knife,  or  the  value  of  a  stiver 
in  cash. 

I  stood  a  moment  gazing  earnestly  at  the  brig  as  she 
was  rapidly  sinking  beneath  the  horizon.  I  was  more 
disappointed  and  shocked  at  the  ingratitude  of  Strictland 
than  grieved  at  the  loss  of  my  goods  and  chattels.  And 
when  I  saw  that  I  had  been  deceived,  cajoled,  and  swin- 
dled by  an  unprincipled  adventurer,  so  far  from  rejoicing 
at  such  an  opportunity  to  "come  out  strong,"  as  Mark 
Tapley  would  have  done  under  similar  circumstances,  I 
could  hardly  control  my  indignation.  But  conscious  that 
my  wrongs  could  neither  be  remedied  nor  avenged,  I 
repressed  my  feelings,  and  amid  the  well-meaning  con- 
dolence of  my  friends  in  the  Gustavus,  entered  my  boat 
and  returned  to  the  sloop. 

I  was  rejoiced  to  find  Bohun  on  board.     He  seized  my 


280  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

hand  and  greeted  me  with  much  kindness.  His  coun- 
tenance, open,  frank,  and  honest,  emboldened  me  to  ex- 
plain to  him  my  situation.  When  I  had  concluded  my 
narrative  of  facts,  "  Now,"  said  I,  "  if  you  consider  your- 
self indebted  to  me,  and  are  willing  to  do  me  a  favor,  all 
I  ask  is,  that  you  will  give  me  a  situation  on  board  this 
sloop  as  one  of  the  sailors,  until  I  can  find  an  opportunity 
to  do  something  better.  I  shall  expect  the  same  rate  of 
wages  as  others,  of  course,  and  have  also  to  request  that 
you  will  advance  me  a  few  dollars,  with  which  I  can  sup- 
ply myself  with  some  necessary  articles  of  clothing." 

Bohun  graciously  acceded  to  my  wishes,  and  told 
me  I  might  henceforth  consider  myself  one  of  the  crew 
of  the  sloop.  I  then  ascertained  what  had  hitherto 
escaped  my  knowledge,  —  that  the  sloop  was  called  the 
"  Lapwing  "  of  St.  Bartholomew  ;  but  really  belonged  to 
Mr.  Thomas,  an  opulent  merchant  residing  in  St.  George, 
Grenada,  and  was  about  to  proceed  to  that  port  with  a 
cargo  of  flour  and  other  articles  of  American  produce. 
Bohun  was  a  clerk  with  Mr.  Thomas ;  and  he  assured  me 
that  on  his  representations  of  my  conduct  to  his  employer, 
and  the  unfortunate  consequences  of  it  to  myself,  that 
gentleman  would  undoubtedly  show  his  appreciation  of 
my  services  in  a  manner  highly  proper  and  acceptable. 

This  consideration,  however,  had  no  weight  with  me. 
All  I  asked  for  was  employment.  I  wanted  to  be  placed 
in  a  situation  where  by  my  labors  I  could  earn  my  living. 
This  I  then  regarded  as  independence ;  and  I  have  never 
since  seen  cause  to  change  that  opinion. 

As  the  Lapwing  belonged  nominally  and  officially  to  a 
S\vedish  port,  it  was  necessary  she  should  have  Swedish 
officers  and  in  part  a  Swedish  crew.  The  captain  was  a 
tall,  stiff-looking  man,  whose  name  was  Lordick.  He  was 
a  native  of  the  little  island  of  Saba ;  and  two  of  the  crew 
belonged  to  the  same  place.  The  mate  was  a  native  of 
St.  Bartholomew.  All  belonging  to  the  sloop  were  ere- 


TREACHERY  AND  INGRATITUDE.  281 

oles,  and  assumed  to  be  subjects  of  the  king  of  Sweden, 
excepting  Bohun  and  myself;  and  I  had  been  so  much 
exposed  to  the  sun  in  that  hot  climate,  that  I  looked  as 
much  like  a  Creole  as  any  person  on  board. 

The  island  of  Saba  is  in  sight  of  St.  Bartholomew  —  a 
level,  precipitous  rock,  nine  miles  in  circumference,  highest 
in  the  centre,  appearing  like  a  mound  rising  out  of  the  sea, 
and  covered  with  no  great  depth  of  soil.  Saba  was  first 
settled  by  a  colony  of  Dutch  from  St.  Eustatia  towards 
the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  is  a  place  of  no 
trade,  having  no  harbor,  and  is  but  little  known.  It  is 
accessible  only  on  the  south  side,  where  there  is  a  narrow, 
intricate,  and  artificial  path  leading  from  the  landing-place 
to  the  summit.  Frequent  rains  give  growth  to  fruit  and 
vegetables  of  large  size  and  superior  flavor,  which  are 
conveyed  to  the  neighboring  islands  in  open  boats  and 
sold.  It  contained  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  cen- 
tury about  fifty  families  of  whites,  and  probably  double 
that  number  of  slaves.  The  chief  employment  of  the 
inhabitants  consisted  in  cultivating  the  soil,  and  raising, 
besides  vegetables  and  fruit,  cotton,  which  the  women 
spun  and  manufactured  into  stockings,  of  a  very  delicate 
fabric,  that  readily  commanded  a  high  price  in  the  neigh- 
boring islands.  The  people,  living  in  a  village  on  the  top 
of  a  rock  between  the  sky  and  the  sea,  enjoy  the  benefits 
of  both  elements  without  dreading  their  storms.  Indeed, 
Saba  is  one  of  those  quiet,  secluded  nooks,  which  are 
sometimes  unexpectedly  discovered  in  different  parts  of 
the  world,  where  the  people,  generation  after  generation, 
live  in  a  sort  of  primitive  simplicity,  and  pride  themselves 
upon  their  peculiarities  and  seclusion  from  mankind.  The 
traveller  in  quest  of  novelties  would  do  well  to  visit  Saba. 

In  a  few  days  after  I  became  one  of  the  crew  of  the 
Lapwing,  that  vc-sol  was  ready  for  sea.  Captain  Lordick 
manifested  towards  me  a  friendly  feeling;  he  sympathized 
with  me  in  my  misfortunes ;  made  me  a  present  of  some 

24* 


283  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

articles,  which,  although  of  trifling  intrinsic  value,  were 
highly  useful ;  and  inveighed  in  severe  terms  against  the 
villany  of  Strictland. 

The  day  before  we  left  port,  Captain  Lordick  called  me 
into  the  cabin.  "  Hawser,"  said  he,  "  you  are  an  American, 
but  you  have  no  evidence  of  that  fact.  The  trading  ves- 
sels among  the  islands  are  often  boarded  by  English  men- 
of-war,  with  a  view  to  get  men  to  supply  a  deficiency  in 
their  crews.  If  an  Englishman  is  found,  he  is  sure  to  be 
impressed.  As  you  have  no  "  protection,"  and  the  burden 
of  proof  lies  with  you,  you  will  be  regarded  as  an  English- 
man, a  proper  person  to  serve  the  king  of  Great  Britain. 
Even  if  you  state  the  truth,  and  claim  to  be  an  American, 
there  will  be  no  means  of  escape  from  this  terrible  species 
of  servitude.  I  have  a  plan  to  propose,  which  may  save 
you  from  the  clutches  of  John  Bull.  The  natives  of  St. 
Bartholomew,  and  also  of  Saba,  which  is  a  dependency  on 
Holland,  are  exempted  from  impressment,  provided  they 
can  exhibit  proofs  of  their  citizenship.  Therefore  every  sail- 
or belonging  to  those  islands  is  provided  with  a  document, 
called  a  '  burgher's  brief,'  which,  like  an  American  protec- 
tion, gives  a  minute  description  of  the  person  of  the 
bearer,  and  is  signed  and  sealed  by  the  official  authorities. 
Kow,  Hawser,"  continued  the  generous  Creole,  "  I  had  a 
younger  brother  who  died  of  yellow  fever  in  St.  Kitts 
some  six  months  ago.  He  was  about  your  age,  and  resem- 
bled you  in  appearance.  His  '  burgher's  brief,'  as  a  citizen 
of  St.  Bartholomew,  is  now  in  my  possession.  Therefore 
you  shall  no  longer  be  a  citizen  of.  the  United  States,  but 
a  native  of  Saba.  I  assure  you  there  are  very  good  people 
in  Saba;  and  your  name  is  no  longer  Hawser  Martingale, 
but  John  Lordick ;  remember  this ;  I  shall  so  enter  your 
name  in  the  ship's  papers." 

The  captain's  reasons  for  a  change  in  my  identity  were 
powerful.  Besides,  a  "  purser's  name "  was  a  common 
thing  among  sailors.  And  although  I  felt  unwilling  to  fore- 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  2b3 

go  ray  claim  to  American  citizenship  even  for  a  brief 
period,  I  convinced  myself  that  no  evil  to  any  one,  but 
much  good  to  myself,  would  be  likely  to  result  from  such 
a  course.  Expediency  is  a  powerful  casuist :  the  captain's 
kindness  also  touched  my  heart,  and  conquering  an  in- 
stinctive repugnance  to  sacrifice  the  truth  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, I  rashly  told  him  that  in  accordance  with 
his  suggestion,  I  would  adopt  the  name  of  his  brother  for 
a  short  time,  and  endeavor  not  to  disgrace  it. 
"  I  have  no  fear  that  you  will,"  said  he. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

COASTING     AMONG      THE     ISLANDS. 

WE  left  St.  Bartholomew  in  the  Lapwing  and  proceeded 
on  our  way  towards  Grenada.  I  was  treated  with  kind- 
ness by  every  person  in  the  sloop,  and  found  my  situation 
far  more  agreeable  than  when  loafing  and  vagabondizing 
about  the  wharves. 

31  r.  Bohun  was  a  light-hearted  young  man,  intelligent, 
high-spirited,  and  impulsive.  He  conversed  with  me  about 
the  events  of  the  war,  and  speculated  freely  in  relation  to 
the  future.  He  spoke  of  the  defeat  of  General  Hull  as 
an  event  which  might  have  been  expected.  When  I  ex- 
pressed an  opinion  that  our  national  vessels  would  be 
more  successful  on  the  sea,  he  appeared  amused,  laboring 
under  the  error  which  was  universal  among  the  British  at 
that  time,  that  an  American  frigate  of  the  first  class  could 
hardly  be  considered  a  match  for  an  English  sloop-of-war. 

I  spoke  of  the  action  between  the  President  and  the  Lit- 
tle Belt,  where  one  broadside,  fired  through  mistake  by  the 
American  frigate,  transformed  the  proud  and  defiant  sloop- 


284  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

of-war  into  a  sinking  wreck.  But  my  argumentative  fact 
was  met  by  a  reference  to  the  unfortunate  affair  between 
the  Leopard  and  the  Chesapeake.  I  urged  that  the  Ches- 
apeake, although  rated  and  officered  and  manned  as  a 
frigate,  was  merely  an  armed  store-ship  carrying  out  sup- 
plies in  a  time  of  peace  to  our  ships  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean. But  Bohun,  like  every  other  Briton  I  have  met 
with,  would  not  admit  the  efficiency  of  the  excuse.  I  next 
recurred  to  the  Tripolitan  war,  and  alluded  to  the  many 
deeds  of  daring  performed  by  my  gallant  countrymen.  But 
Bohun  contended  that  their  feats  of  valor  in  a  war  against 
barbarians  could  not  be  regarded  as  a  test  of  their  ability  to 
battle  on  equal  terms  against  the  most  accomplished  seamen 
in  the  world.  Bohun  said  that  the  Shannon  and  the 
Guerriere,  two  of  the  finest  frigates  in  the  English  navy, 
had  recently  been  fitted  out  and  ordered  to  cruise  on  the 
American  coast,  with  the  expectation  that  a  single-handed 
contest  between  one  of  these  vessels  and  an  American 
frigate  of  the  first  class  would  humble  the  pride  of  the 
Yankees,  and  decide  the  question  of  superiority.  I  could 
only  reply  that  I  hoped  the  meeting  would  soon  take 
place,  and  when  it  did,  he  would  be  as  much  astonished 
as  I  should  be  gratified  at  the  result. 

The  next  morning  after  the  above  conversation,  we  were 
passing  along  the  westerly  side  of  the  island  of  Dominica, 
and  Mr.  Bohun  expressed  a  wish  to  touch  at  Rosseau,  the 
principal  port  in  the  island,  in  order  to  obtain  some  desira- 
ble information.  When  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  orders 
were  given  for  the  sloop  to  lie  off  and  on,  while  the  super- 
cargo was  conveyed  on  shore  in  the  yawl,  pulled  by  one 
of  my  Saba  countrymen  and  myself.  On  reaching  a  land- 
ing place,  Bohun  directed  us  to  remain  by  the  boat  until 
he  should  return,  which  would  be  in  the  course  of  half  an 
hour,  and  tripped  gayly  up  the  wharf. 

The  town  of  Rosseau  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a  valley 
near  the  sea  shore.  The  harbor  is  little  better  than  an 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  285 

open  roadstead,  and  is  defended  by  strong  fortifications 
overhanging  the  city.  The  town  has  been  three  times 
destroyed ;  once  by  an  inundation  from  the  mountains  after 
heavy  rains  which  swept  away  many  of  the  dwellings  and 
caused  the  death  of  numerous  inhabitants.  Some  ten  or 
twenty  years  afterwards,  when  the  town  had  been  rebuilt, 
a  destructive  fire  raged  through  the  place,  laid  it  in  ashes, 
and  destroyed  an  immense  deal  of  property.  A  third  time 
it  was  destroyed  by  a  furious  hurricane,  when  nearly  all 
the  houses  were  demolished  or  unroofed,  and  hundreds  of 
the  inhabitants  were  killed  or  seriously  wounded.  Hav- 
ing thus  been  at  different  times  a  victim  to  the  rage  of 
three  of  the  elements,  air,  fire,  and  water,  many  were  led 
to  believe  that  the  final  destruction  of  the  place  would  be 
caused  by  an  earthquake. 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  Bohun 
came  down  to  the  boat,  having  been  absent  between  three 
and  four  hours.  His  countenance  was  lighted  up  with  a 
smile  of  gayety,  and  his  eyes  sparkled  as  if  he  had  joyful 
news  to  communicate. 

"  Well,  John,"  he  shouted  as  he  came  within  hail,  "  there 
has  been  an  arrival  from  Halifax,  and  a  piece  of  important 
intelligence  has  been  received." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  said  I,  with  a  faltering  voice,  as  from  his 
cheerful  bearing  I  anticipated  unfavorable  tidings  :  "  what 
is  the  character  of  the  news  ?  " 

"A  desperate  battle  has  been  fought  between  the  Brit- 
ish frigate  Guerriere,  and  the  American  frigate  Consti- 
tution. What  do  you  think  of  that  ? "  added  he,  with  a 
light  laugh. 

"  Which  gained  the  victory,  sir  ?  "  said  I,  almost  afraid 
to  make  the  inquiry. 

"  One  of  the  frigates,"  said  he,  without  replying  to  my 
question,  "  was  thoroughly  whipped  in  short  order  and  in 
handsome  style,  dismasted  and  sunk,  with  one  half  of  her 
crew  killed  and  wounded,  while  the  injury  the  other  re- 


286  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

ceived  was  hardly  worth  mentioning.  Which  do  you 
think  gained  the  day?" 

"The  American  frigate,  of  course,"  said  I. 

"You  are  right,  John,"  exclaimed  Bohun  with  a  laugh. 
The  Constitution  has  sunk  the  Guerriere.  Brother  Jona- 
than is  looking  up.  He  is  a  worthy  descendant  of  John 
Bull.  I  find  you  understand  the  character  of  your  sailors 
better  than  I  do." 

After  having  imparted  this  interesting  piece  of  intelli- 
gence, and  telling  my  shipmate  and  myself  to  remain  by 
the  boat  until  he  should  return,  which  would  be  in  a  few 
minutes,  he  again  walked  nimbly  up  the  street,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  sight. 

As  in  duty  bound  we  remained  at  the  wharf  in  expecta- 
tion of  the  return  of  Bohun,  but  hour  after  hour  passed 
and  he  did  not  return.  He  was  "  enjoying  life  "  among 
some  boon  companions,  and  over  a  decanter  of  good  wine, 
as  he  afterwards  acknowledged,  lost  for  a  time  all  recollec- 
tion of  the  existence  not  only  of  the  boat,  but  also  of 
the  sloop. 

When  the  company  broke  up  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  he  came  staggering  down  the  wharf,  rolled  him- 
self into  the  stern  seats  of  the  boat,  and  ordered  us  to 
shove  off  and  pull  towards  the  sloop.  We  represented  to 
him  that  the  night  was  dark  and  cloudy,  and  it  would  be 
next  to  an  impossibility  to  find  the  sloop  in  the  broad  bay 
at  that  hour ;  that  the  attempt  would  be  attended  with  risk, 
and  consequently  it  would  be  wiser  to  wait  until  morn- 
ing before  we  left  the  quay. 

Our  remonstrances  were  of  no  avail.  He  insisted  on 
going  off  immediately.  Nothing,  he  said,  would  induce 
him  to  wait  until  morning ;  he  knew  exactly  where  to  find 
the  sloop,  and  could  steer  the  boat  directly  alongside. 

It  was  useless  to  argue  with  him,  and  we  dared  not  dis- 
obey his  orders.  The  motto  of  Jack,  like  the  submissive 
response  of  a  Mussulman  to  an  Eastern  caliph,  is,  "  To  hear 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  287 

is  to  obey."  "We  left  the  wharf  and  pulled  briskly  out  of 
the  harbor.  But  no  sloop  was  to  be  seen.  "We  stopped 
for  a  moment  to  reconnoitre,  but  Bohun  told  us  to  keep  pull- 
ing ;  it  was  all  right ;  we  were  going  directly  towards  her 
In  a  few  minutes  he  dropped  the  tiller  and  sank  down  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  where  he  lay  coiled  up  like  a 
hedgehog,  oblivious  to  all  that  was  passing  around  him. 

By  this  time  we  were  broad  off  in  the  bay ;  the  lights  in 
the  town  glimmered  in  the  distance,  the  stars  shone  occa- 
sionally through  the  broken  clouds,  the  wind  was  light, 
and  the  sea  comparatively  smooth.  On  consultation  with 
my  shipmate,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  it  was  hardly 
worth  while  to  pull  the  boat  about  in  different  directions 
on  a  bootless  quest  after  the  sloop.  We  also  rejected  the 
idea  of  returning  to  the  town.  We  laid  in  our  oars,  com- 
posed ourselves  as  comfortably  as  we  could  beneath  the 
thwarts,  and  with  clear  consciences  resigned  ourselves  to 
sleep. 

We  must  have  slept  for  hours  when  we  were  awakened 
by  an  unpleasant  and  alarming  noise.  It  was  some  minutes 
before  we  could  recollect  ourselves  and  ascertain  the  cause 
of  the  hubbub.  It  proved  to  be  the  roaring  of  the  wind,  the 
pattering  of  the  rain,  and  the  angry  dash  of  the  waves. 
While  we  slept  a  severe  squall  had  been  gradually  con- 
cocted among  the  mountains,  and  now  burst  upon  us  in  all 
its  fury.  How  long  the  wind  had  "been  blowing  we  did 
not  know ;  but  we  did  know  we  were  some  miles  out  to 
sea  in  a  cockle-shell  of  a  boat,  and  rapidly  drifting  farther 
from  the  land.  No  lights  could  be  seen  in  any  quarter ; 
but  all  around  was  dark  and  drear.  We  supposed  that  as 
a  matter  of  course  the  wind  blew  from  the  land,  and  there- 
fore got  out  our  oars  and  pulled  dead  to  windward,  thus  pre- 
venting further  drift,  and  lessening  our  danger  by  laying 
the  boat  head  to  the  sea,  which  was  now  rapidly  rising. 

The  squall  continued  for  an  hour  after  we  were  conscious 
of  its  existence ;  we  were  thoroughly  drenched,  but  exer- 


288  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

cise  kept  us  warm;  while  Bohun  still  maintained  his  snug 
position  beneath  the  stern  seats  in  a  happy  state  of  uncon- 
sciousness of  the  jarring  of  the  elements  and  the  peril  to 
which  he  was  exposed. 

The  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  hailed  with  delight,  and 
at  broad  daylight  we  beheld  the  sloop,  which  had  been 
driven  to  leeward  during  the  night ;  and  although  eight  or 
ten  miles  from  the  land,  she  was  not  more  than  a  couple 
of  miles  to  windward  of  the  boat,  and  beating  up  towards 
the  harbor.  We  awakened  Bohun,  whose  garments  were 
saturated  by  the  shower,  and  who  seemed  greatly  amused 
with  our  account  of  the  night's  adventure.  The  wind  was 
fortunately  light,  and  by  dint  of  hard  rowing,  we  soon  got 
near  enough  to  the  Lapwing  to  make  signals,  and  were 
recognized.  The  sloop  then  bore  away  and  ran  down,  and 
we  were  truly  rejoiced,  fatigued,  wet,  hungry  as  we  were, 
to  stand  again  upon  the  deck. 

Proceeding  along  to  leeward  of  Martinico  and  St.  Lucia, 
we  came  to  St.  Vincent,  an  island  about  twenty  miles  in 
length  from  north  to  south,  which  was  chiefly  remarka- 
ble at  that  time  as  being  the  only  abiding  place  of  the 
once  numerous  and  warlike  tribe  of  the  Caribs,  who  inhab- 
ited the  Windward  Islands  when  the  American  continent 
was  discovered,  and  were  doomed,  like  all  other  tribes  of 
their  race,  to  wilt  and  die  beneath  the  sun  of  civilization. 

The  Caribs,  although  described  by  historians  as  fierce 
and  unpitying  cannibals  of  the  lowest  grade  of  human 
organization,  undoubtedly  possessed  moral  and  intellec- 
tual faculties  by  no  means  inferior  to  the  great  body  of 
American  Indians;  but,  like  the  tribe  of  savages  which 
inhabited  the  island  of  Hispaniola,  and  other  tribes  on 
the  continent,  they  observed  the  custom  of  flattening 
their  heads,  which  gave  to  their  features  an  unnatural  and 
sinister  expression,  by  no  means  calculated  to  gain  the 
good  will  and  confidence  of  strangers.  The  head  was 
squeezed,  soon  after  birth,  between  two  boards,  applied 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  289 

before  and  behind,  which  made  the  front  and  back  part 
of  the  head  resemble  two  sides  of  a  square.  This  custom 
is  still  retained  among  the  Caribs  of  St.  Vincent. 

The  flattening  of  the  head  among  the  natives  of 
Hispaniola  was  performed  in  a  different  manner,  and 
produced  a  different  effect.  The  forehead  only  was  de- 
pressed, almost  annihilating  the  facial  angle,  and  swelling 
the  back  part  of  the  head  out  of  all  proportion.  The 
early  Spanish  settlers  complained  of  this  savage  custom, 
as  subjecting  them  to  much  inconvenience.  In  the  course 
of  their  humane  experiments,  they  ascertained  that,  owing 
to  the  thickening  of  the  back  part  of  the  cranium  caused 
by  this  process,  the  broadsword  of  the  strongest  cavalier 
could  not  cleave  the  skull  at  a  single  blow,  but  would 
often  snap  off  in  the  middle  without  serious  damage  to 
the  owner  of  the  cranium  ! 

When  I  passed  along  the  shores  of  the  island  of  St. 
Vincent,  in  1810,  I  was  particularly  struck  with  the  wild 
and  uncultivated  appearance  of  the  northern  section,  — 
a  huge  mountain,  or  combination  of  mountains,  rudely 
precipitous,  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation  even  to 
the  summit,  but  containing  deep  chasms  or  gorges,  down 
which  sparkling  streams  were  rushing,  forming  numerous 
waterfalls,  and  all  constituting  a  wild,  picturesque,  and 
attractive  landscape. 

When  I  passed  St.  Vincent  in  the  Lapwing,  in  October, 
1812,  a  mighty  change  had  taken  place.  Every  trace  of 
vegetation  had  vanished  from  this  part  of  the  island  ;  not 
a  tree  or  a  shrub  remained.  The  rivers  were  dried  up, 
and  even  the  deep  and  dark  chasms  and  gorges  no  longer 
existed.  Cinders  and  ashes  covered  the  mountain  sides, 
and  beds  of  lava  were  pouring  down  from  the  summit, 
and  hissing  as  they  entered  the  ocean.  On  the  30th  of 
April,  —  about  one  month  after  the  terrible  earthquake 
by  which  the  city  of  Caraccas,  three  hundred  and  sixty 
miles  distant,  was  destroyed,  and  twelve  thousand  of  the 

.  25 


290  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

inhabitants  buried  in  the  ruins,  —  an  eruption  took  place 
from  an  old  crater  on  the  summit  of  this  mountain  in  St. 
Vincent,  which  for  more  than  a  century  had  shown  no 
symptom  of  life.  The  eruption  was  sudden  and  over- 
whelming. Stones  and  ashes  were  scattered  over  the 
island ;  vessels  more  than  a  hundred  miles  to  the  east- 
ward had  their  decks  covered  with  cinders,  and  the  crews 
were  terrified  at  the  noises  which  attended  this  fierce  ebul- 
lition of  the  warring  elements  beneath  the  earth's  surface. 
At  St.  Bartholomew,  distant  from  St.  Vincent  about  three 
hundred  miles,  the  explosions  were  distinctly  heard,  and 
through  the  whole  night  were  so  continuous  and  loud  as 
to  resemble  a  heavy  cannonading  from  hostile  fleets.  In- 
deed, it  was  believed  for  several  days  that  a  desperate 
action  between  English  and  French  squadrons  had  been 
fought  within  the  distance  of  a  few  miles.  By  this  erup- 
tion the  vegetation  on  the  north  part  of  the  island,  com- 
prising one  third  of  the  whole  territory,  was  destroyed, 
and  the  soil  rendered  sterile,  —  being  covered  to  a  great 
depth  with  cinders  and  ashes.  All  the  lands  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  were  also  rendered  unfit  for  cultivation. 
What  is  remarkable,  but  few  lives  were  lost.  The  unfor- 
tunate Caribs,  however,  who  comprised  about  one  hun- 
dred families,  dwelt  in  this  ungenial  and  unproductive 
district,  and  were  driven  from  their  homes  to  find  else- 
where, and  nearer  to  the  habitations  of  the  whites,  some 
desolate  spot,  shunned  by  all  others,  where  they  could 
again  set  tip  their  household  gods. 

Proceeding  past  St.  Vincent  we  came  to  the  Grena- 
dines, a  cluster  of  small  islands  and  rocks  lying  between 
St.  Vincent  and  Grenada  ;  two  of  which  only,  Bequia 
and  Curriacou,  are  of  any  importance.  These  two  islands 
are  fertile,  and  produce  a  considerable  quantity  of  cotton. 
Others,  although  small,  are  cultivated  ;  and  the  isle  of 
Rhonde,  which  lies  within  a  few  miles  of  Grenada,  is  in 
itself  a  large  cotton  plantation.  One  of  these  islets,  or, 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  291 

more  properly  speaking,  isolated  rocks,  lying  not  far  from 
the  shores  of  Grenada,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  cluster, 
is  remarkable  as  having  been  the  scene  of  an  event  which 
tradition  seems  to  have  carefully,  if  not  faithfully,  re- 
corded. In  the  obstinate  wars  between  France  and  Hol- 
land, in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  Dutch 
frigate,  commanded  by  a  burly  and  brave  officer,  a  gen- 
uine fire-eater,  especially  when  he  had  his  "  schnapps " 
on  board,  was  cruising  under  the  lee  of  Grenada,  and  fell 
in  with  a  large  ship,  to  which  the  frigate  gave  chase. 
The  ship  answered  no  signals,  but  hoisted  a  white  flag 
and  fired  a  gun  to  windward,  and  was  thus  recognized  as 
a  French  frigate  or  heavy  sloop-of-war. 

Night  was  coming  on,  and  the  chase,  with  a  pleasant 
breeze,  stood  on  a  wind  to  the  northward  and  eastward. 
The  valiant  "mynheer,"  whose  courage,  by  means  of 
schnapps,  had  been  screwed  up  to  the  sticking  point, 
made  all  sail  after  the  enemy,  and  caused  a  double  por- 
tion of  the  stimulating  article  to  be  served  out  to  his 
crew.  Under  this  invigorating  influence  he  made  a 
speech,  in  which  he  promised  a  rich  reward  to  all  who 
would  manfully  assist  in  giving  the  enemy  a  double  dose 
of  "  donner  and  blitzen."  He  further  promised  that,  to 
give  his  crew  a  good  chance  to  distinguish  themselves, 
he  would  lay  the  ship  alongside  the  enemy,  and  fight 
the  battle  yard-arm  and  yard-arm.  The  gallant  crew 
gave  three  hearty  cheers,  and  swore  to  do  their  duty  as 
became  the  countrymen  of  Van  Tromp. 

Darkness  soon  came  on.  The  night  was  cloudy,  and 
the  wind  was  moderate.  The  chase  was  lost  sight  of, 
though  it  was  believed  the  Dutchman  was  closing  with 
the  enemy  hand  over  hand.  The  decks  were  cleared  for 
action,  the  deck  lanterns  lighted,  the  guns  double-shotted, 
and  men  with  eyes  of  preternatural  brilliancy  stationed 
on  the  lookout. 

Hours    passed    in    anxious   expectation,   and    another 


292  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

allowance  of  schnapps  was  served  out  to  keep  up  the 
spirits  of  the  crew ;  when,  to  the  great  gratification  of 
every  man  on  board,  a  lookout  on  the  end  of  the  flying 
jib-boom  shouted,  "  Sail,  ho  !  "  The  chase  was  soon  dis- 
tinctly visible,  looming  up,  not  like  a  speck,  but  like  a 
large  black  spot  on  the  dark  horizon.  A  bloody  battle 
was  now  certain  to  take  place,  and  mynheer,  combining 
discretion  with  valor,  took  in  his  light  sails,  and  got  his 
ship  into  a  condition  to  be  easily  handled. 

The  Frenchman  was  apparently  lying  to,  waiting  for 
his  antagonist  to  come  up.  He  did  not  have  long  to 
wait.  The  Dutch  frigate  luffed  up  on  his  weather  quar- 
ter, ranged  alongside  within  musket  shot,  and  poured  in 
a  tremendous  broadside,  then  shooting  ahead,  peppered 
the  astonished  enemy  in  a  truly  scientific  manner.  The 
frigate  then  wore  short  round  athwart  the  Frenchman's 
bows,  sweeping  his  decks  with  another  terrible  broadside. 
The  Dutchman  kept  up  the  combat  with  a  degree  of 
courage,  energy,  and  spirit  that  was  a  marvel  to  behold  ; 
sometimes  lying  athwart  the  enemy's  wake  and  raking  the 
decks  with  terrible  effect ;  sometimes  crossing  the  bows 
and  sending  the  devastating  iron  shower  the  whole  length 
from  stem  to  stern ;  and  sometimes  lying  bravely  along- 
side, as  if  courting,  as  well  as  giving,  hard  knocks ;  and 
displaying,  under  these  critical  circumstances,  specimens 
of  seamanship  and  mano3uvring  which  would  have  com- 
manded the  admiration  of  the  great  De  Ruyter  himself. 

But  a  combat  fought  with  such  desperation  could  not 
last  forever.  One  of  the  frigate's  guns,  being  overcharged, 
burst,  killing  several  men  and  wounding  others ;  and  just 
as  the  first  signs  of  daybreak  were  seen  in  the  east,  the 
Dutchman  hauled  off  to  repair  damages  and  count  his 
losses.  The  enemy  apparently  had  not  lost  a  spar,  not- 
withstanding the  terrible  hammering  he  had  received, 
but  continued  doggedly  lying  to,  preserving,  to  the  great 
indignation  of  his  opponent,  a  most  defiant  attitude. 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  293 

When  daylight  shone  on  the  scene  of  battle,  and  the 
doughty  Dutchman,  having  repaired  damages,  was  ready 
to  renew  the  combat,  it  suddenly  became  manifest  to 
every  man  on  board  the  frigate  who  had  the  proper  use 
of  his  eyes,  that  the  French  ship-of-war  which  had  so 
nobly  sustained  a  tremendous  cannonading  through  the 
night,  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  huge  rock,  which, 
with  its  head  high  above  the  surface,  like  the  Sail-rock 
near  the  island  of  St.  Thomas,  marvellously  resembled  a 
ship  under  sail.  The  captain  of  the  frigate  rubbed  his 
eyes  on  beholding  the  unexpected  vision,  as  much  aston- 
ished as  the  chivalrous  Don  Quixote,  who,  after  an  un- 
successful contest  with  a  squad  of  giants,  found  his 
enemies  transformed  into  windmills.  This  rock  was  after- 
wards known  as  Rock  Donner  or  Donnerock,  and  will 
stand  forever  an  imperishable  monument  commemorative 
of  "  Dutch  courage." 

The  principal  town  in  Grenada  is  St.  George,  which  is 
situated  on  a  bay  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  island,  and 
is  defended  by  heavy  fortifications.  On  arriving  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor  in  the  Lapwing,  we  fell  in  with  a 
large  brig-of-war,  called  the  Ringdove,  and  was  boarded 
before  we  came  to  anchor  in  the  bay.  When  the  boat 
from  the  brig  was  approaching,  it  was  strange  to  see  the 
trepidation  which  seized  every  one  of  our  crew.  Although 
all,  with  the  exception  of  myself,  were  in  possession  of 
genuine  legal  documents  that  should  have  served  as  im- 
pregnable barriers  against  impressment,  yet  they  had  wit- 
nessed so  many  facts  showing  the  utter  disregard  of 
human  or  divine  laws  on  the  part  of  the  commanders  of 
British  ships-of-war  when  in  want  of  men,  that  they 
awaited  the  result  of  the  visit  with  fear  and  trembling. 

A  lieutenant  came  on  board  and  conversed  pleasantly 
with  the  captain  and  supercargo.  The  men  were  mus- 
tered and  called  aft  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  carefully 
scrutinized  by  the  boarding  officer.  Our  protections  were 

25* 


294  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

examined,  but  being  printed  or  inscribed  in  the  Swedish 
language,  were  not  read.  Every  thing  appeared  accord- 
ing to  rule.  The  lieutenant  looked  hard  at  me  as  John 
Lordick,  and  asked  some  questions  of  the  captain,  to  •which 
the  captain  replied,  "  He  is  my  brother,"  which  seemed  to 
settle  the  matter.  The  boat  returned  on  board  the  Ring- 
dove, and  I,  as  well  as  others,  rejoiced  in  having  eluded 
impressment  in  a  man-of-war. 

The  sloop  was  brought  to  anchor,  and  the  cook  and 
myself  were  ordered  into  the  boat  for  the  purpose  of  set- 
ting the  captain  and  supercargo  on  shore.  We  pulled 
around  the  principal  fort,  which  is  situated  on  a  point 
of  land,  and  entered  a  beautiful  land-locked  harbor,  or 
careenage,  where  a  number  of  vessels  were  lying  at  the 
wharves.  The  captain  and  supercargo  landed  on  one 
of  these  wharves,  and  the  captain  directed  the  cook  to 
accompany  him  to  the  market  square  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  fresh  provisions ;  I  was  ordered  to  remain  by 
the  boat. 

When  the  captain  was  gone,  and  I  was  left  standing 
alone,  my  thoughts  again  recurred  to  the  subject  of  im- 
pressment, which  had  so  completely  engrossed  the  minds 
of  the  crew  that  morning ;  and  I  thought  to  myself, 
"  Suppose  some  crafty,  determined,  unscrupulous  officer 
of  the  Ringdove,  or  some  other  British  vessel,  should  be 
at  this  very  time  on  shore,  lounging  about  the  wharves, 
disguised  as  an  inoffensive  citizen,  but  watching  an  oppor- 
tunity to  pounce  upon  a  poor  unfortunate  fellow,  like 
myself,  and  bear  him  off  in  triumph,  to  become  a  victim 
to  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  at  the  gangway,  or  food  for  gun- 
powder." While  I  was  shuddering  at  the  idea  of  such  a 
climax  to  my  adventures,  I  saw  a  man  coming  towards 
me,  whose  countenance  and  demeanor  aroused  all  my 
suspicions.  He  was  a  thick-set,  swarthy  individual,  with 
enormous  black  whiskers  and  sparkling  black  eyes.  He 
was  dressed  like  a  gentleman,  but  I  thought  his  garments 


COASTING    AMOXG    THE    ISLAXDS.  295 

hung  loosely  about  him ;  indeed,  his  whole  appearance,  in 
my  eyes,  was  that  of  the  leader  of  a  press-gang  or  the 
captain  of  a  band  of  pirates.  He  eyed  me  closely  as  he 
advanced  towards  me  with  what  I  conceived  to  be  a  reg- 
ular man-of-war  swagger.  Being  driven  to  bay,  I  stood 
my  ground  firmly,  and  confronted  him. 

"Do  you  belong  to  the  sloop  which  is  anchored  in 
the  bay,  my  lad  ? "  inquired  he,  with  a  mild  voice  and 
pleasant  smile,  affected,  of  course,  to  conceal  his  real  in- 
tentions. 

"  Yes,"  was  my  rather  curt  reply. 

"  What  is  the  name  of  the  sloop  ?  " 

"  Lapwing." 

"  Where  does  the  Lapwing  belong  ?  " 

"  To  St.  Bartholomew." 

"  Where  are  you  from  last  ?  " 

"  St.  Bartholomew." 

"  Hum  !    What  is  the  name  of  your  captain  ?  " 

"  James  Lordick." 

"Ah,  James  Lordick?"  exclaimed  he,  with  vivacity. 
"  Indeed  !  "  Then  addressing  me  abruptly,  he  inquired, 
"  Where  do  you  belong  ?  " 

"  Now  for  it,"  thought  I  to  myself;  "  the  time  has  come 
when  I  must  plunge  headforemost  into  the  sea  of  false- 
hood ;  so  here  goes."  And  I  answered  boldly,  "  To 
Saba." 

"  To  Saba  ?  Do  you,  indeed  ?  "  and  he  gazed  at  me 
with  his  piercing  eyes,  as  if  he  could  read  my  very 
soul.  "  To  Saba  —  you  belong  to  Saba  ?  What  is  your 
name  ? " 

"John  Lordick." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  "  exclaimed  my  black-whiskered  friend. 
"  Are  you  really  John  Lordick,  the  brother  of  James  ? 
Good  Lord  !  Who  would  have  thought  it !  " 

Thus  strongly  appealed  to,  I  felt  unable  to  reply  except 
by  an  affirmative  nod. 


296  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

"  So  you  are  John  Lordick  ?  I  heard  you  were  dead. 
How  the  world  is  given  to  lying !  I  should  never  have 
known  you.  You  have  changed  amazingly  since  I  left 
Saba  six  years  ago,  John." 

As  this  remark  did  not  necessarily  require  any  reply,  I 
made  none.  I  now  began  to  suspect  that  I  was  mistaken 
in  the  estimate  of  the  character  of  my  interrogator — that 
he  was  neither  the  captain  of  a  band  of  pirates  nor  the 
leader  of  a  press-gang;  and  it  being  my  first  essay  at  carry- 
ing out  a  system  of  falsehood,  I  was  terribly  frightened  at 
the  dilemma  in  which  I  was  involved.  I  lost  my  presence 
of  mind,  and  instead  of  frankly  avowing  the  truth,  as  pol- 
icy, as  well  as  principle,  would  have  dictated,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  to  stick  by  my  story,  and  carry  out  the  deception 
to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  But  my  mortification,  my  con- 
fusion, my  chagrin,  at  being  subjected  to  this  unforeseen 
cross-examination,  can  hardly  be  conceived.  I  envied  the 
condition  of  the  wretch  standing  by  the  gallows  with  a 
noose  around  his  neck.  After  a  brief  pause,  my  tormentor 
continued  —  "  Do  you  recollect  me  ?  " 

"No,"  said  I,  promptly;  and  glad  of  a  chance  to  speak 
a  little  truth,  I  added,  "  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  I 
never  saw  you  before  in  my  life." 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha ! "  My  friend  seemed  greatly  amused. 
"  Can  it  be  that  I  have  changed  so  much  within  a  few  short 
years  ?  You  knew  me  well  enough  once,  John,  when  I 
lived  opposite  your  father's  house.  I  am  Lewis  Brown." 
And  in  a  friendly,  but  somewhat  patronizing  manner,  he 
held  out  his  hand. 

"  Indeed,"  said  I,  grasping  his  proffered  hand,  "  Lewis 
Brown  !  I  never  should  have  recognized  you." 

"  Yes,"  said  Brown,  "  six  years  will  make  a  change  in 
one's  appearance.  I  should  never  have  recognized  you  as 
John  Lordick.  How  is  your  sister  Bertha,  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  folks?" 

«  Well,  quite  well." 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  297 

"Whom  did  your  sister  marry?" 

"  She  is  not  married  yet,"  said  I. 

"  Xot  married  yet !  Why,  she  must  be  at  least  twenty 
years  old.  When  I  left  home  she  was  a  beautiful  girl  — 
even  then  a  belle.  Not  married,  and  in  Saba !  But  she 
will  be,  soon,  I  suppose." 

"  Perhaps,"  said'  I. 

"  Ah !  ah !  She  is  engaged,  I  see.  Who  is  the  happy 
man?" 

"Indeed,  I  don't  know,"  I  exclaimed,  wishing  the  in- 
quisitive fellow  at  the  bottom  of  the  Red  Sea,  with  a 
twenty-four  pound  shot  fastened  to  his  feet. 

"  What  has  become  of  your  cousin,  Mark  Haraden  ?  Is 
he  as  lively  and  good-humored  as  ever  ?  " 

This  Lewis  Brown,  delighted  at  having  met  with  an  old 
acquaintance,  seemed  bent  on  getting  all  the  information 
and  gossip  about  his  old  cronies,  that  chance  had  thrown 
in  his  way.  Fearing  I  might  perpetrate  some  palpable  ab- 
surdity in  my  fabulous  statements,  as  in  the  case  of  my 
"  sister  Bertha,"  I  resolved  to  kill  off  all  his  friends  and 
relations  in  detail,  without  ceremony  or  remorse.  And 
therefore  I  replied  to  the  question  about  Mark  Haraden 
by  saying, — 

"  O !  Mark  was  capsized  by  a  squall  while  going  in  a 
boat  from  St.  Martin  to  St.  Bartholomew  with  a  load  of 
sugar,  and  all  hands  were  lost." 

"  Poor  fellow !  poor  fellow !  I  am  sorry  to  hear  this ; 
but  life's  uncertain.  Where  is  Nicholas  Van  Vert  now  ?  " 

"Nicholas  Van  Vert?  He  happened  to  be  at  St.  Kitts 
last  year  when  the  yellow  fever  broke  out  there,  and  was 
attacked  Avith  it  the  day  after  he  reached  home,  and  lived 
only  three  days." 

"  Indeed  !  Indeed  !  Well,  we  should  all  be  prepared  for 
whatever  may  happen !  How  is  old  Captain  Wagner  —  as 
hale  and  hearty  as  ever?" 

"The  old  man  slipped  and  fell  over  a  precipice  on  tho 


293  JACK   IX   THE   FORECASTLE. 

north  side  of  the  island  a  few  weeks  ago,  and  broke  his 
neck." 

"Good  Lord!  What  a  terrible  mortality  among  my 
best  friends  in  Saba !  I  am  almost  afraid  to  inquire  after 
my  old  flame,  Julia  Hoffner.  What  has  become  of  her  ?  " 

While  I  was  considering  in  what  way  I  should  dispose 
of  the  fair  and  interesting  Julia,  a  grinning  darkey,  who 
had  approached  the  wharf  in  great  haste,  shouted,  "  Cap- 
tain Brown,  massa  mate  wants  you  on  board,  right  off, 
directly." 

I  felt  grateful  to  the  dark-complexioned  youth  for  the 
seasonable  interruption,  and  secretly  resolved  that  if  it 
should  ever  be  in  my  power  to  do  him  a  good  turn,  I 
would  do  it.  Unfortunately  for  him,  I  never  saw  him 
more. 

Captain  Brown  seemed  annoyed  at  the  summons,  and 
turning  to  me,  said,  "  I  suppose  I  must  go,  John,  but  I'll 
be  back  in  a  minute.  It's  a  real  treat  to  talk  to  a  Saba 
man.  But  you  have  told  me  some  sad  news  —  don't  go 
away."  And  the  inquisitive  gentleman  walked  off,  looking 
as  sad  and  forlorn  as  if  he  had  really  "  lost  all  his  friends," 
and  leaving  me  half  dead  with  terror  lest  my  falsehoods 
should  be  detected,  and  perspiring  with  remorse  at  having 
made  such  a  rectangular  deviation  from  the  strict  line  of 
truth. 

I  breathed  more  freely.  I  had  obtained  a  respite  from 
my  sufferings.  I  cast  a  searching  look  up  the  street,  to  see 
if  the  captain  or  the  cook  was  coming,  and  on  finding  no 
signs  of  aid  from  that  quarter,  I  fairly  turned  my  back 
upon  the  boat,  and  ran  off  to  some  distance,  where,  con- 
cealed behind  an  old  building,  I  could,  by  peering  round 
a  corner,  note  every  transaction  which  took  place  on  the 
wharf. 

A  few  minutes  only  elapsed  when  the  inquisitive  Captain 
Lewis  Brown  returned  with  hurried  steps  to  the  spot  where 
our  conference  was  held.  He  seemed  disappointed,  and,  I 


COASTING    AMONG    THE    ISLANDS.  299 

thought,  somewhat  hurt  at  not  finding  his  old  acquaint- 
ance, John  Lordick.  He  looked  around  inquiringly  in 
every  direction,  but  apparently  convinced  that  I  had  ab- 
sconded, again  walked  away,  but  this  time  slowly,  as  if 
pondering  on  the  startling  information  I  had  given  him. 
Soon  afterwards  the  cook  came  down  loaded  with  fresh 
provisions.  He  brought  orders  from  the  captain  to  go  on 
board  immediately,  and  return  for  him  at  twelve  o'clock. 

At  the  hour  appointed,  the  boat,  with  myself  pull- 
ing the  bow  oar,  approached  the  wharf,  where,  to  my 
confusion,  I  found  Captain  Lordick  in  close  conversation 
with  my  big-whiskered  friend,  Lewis  Brown.  That  gen- 
tleman gave  me  an  angry  look,  but  said  not  a  word.  It 
was  clear  that  Captain  Lordick  had  betrayed  the  secret  of 
my  citizenship,  and  had  given  him  information  in  regard  to 
his  old  friends  and  gossips,  which  differed  materially  from 
my  extemporaneous  effusions ;  so  that  so  far  from  being 
rejoiced,  as  a  reasonable  man  would  have  been,  at  finding 
his  friends  alive  and  well,  he  seemed  greatly  provoked, 
and  eyed  me  with  the  ferocity  of  a  cannibal  on  learning 
that  they  had  not  shuffled  off  this  mortal  coil  in  the  manner 
I  had  so  feelingly  described. 

This  gentleman  proved  to  be  the  captain  of  a  three- 
masted  schooner,  which  traded  between  Cumana  and  the 
Islands,  bringing  over  cargoes  of  mules.  He  had  resided 
in  Saba  in  early  life,  and  bore  the  reputation  of  a  worthy 
and  respectable  man.  I  saw  him  several  times  after  our 
memorable  interview ;  but  he  always  regarded  me  with  a 
grim  look,  as  if  he  owed  me  a  heavy  grudge,  and  would 
rejoice  in  an  opportunity  to  pay  it  off. 


300  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

CROSSING     THE      MOUNTAINS. 

IN  the  afternoon  the  sloop  was  hauled  into  the  inner 
harbor,  and  on  the  following  day  we  commenced  dischar- 
ging cargo.  I  took  an  early  opportunity  to  hold  some  con- 
versation with  Captain  Lordick  on  the  subject  of  my  change 
of  name.  The  lesson  I  had  received  in  my  agonizing  inter- 
view with  Captain  Brown  made  a  deep  impression  on  my 
mind,  and  doubtless  had  an  effect  in  shaping  my  character 
in  future  life. 

I  expressed  my  gratitude  to  Captain  Lordick  for  the  in- 
terest he  took  in  my  welfare,  but  frankly  told  him  I  could 
no  longer  sail  under  false  colors;  that  falsehood,  in  any 
shape,  was  alien  to  my  character ;  that  I  was  determined 
to  fall  back  on  the  name  to  which  I  was  rightfully  entitled, 
a  very  good  and  quiet  name  in  itself,  and  acknowledge 
myself  in  all  times  and  places  a  native  citizen  of  the  United 
States.  If  I  should  be  involved  in  trouble  by  this  straight- 
forward and  honest  mode  of  proceeding,  impressed  on 
board  a  man-of-war,  or  detained  as  a  prisoner,  in  my  tribu- 
lations I  should  be  able  to  bear  a  bold  front  and  enjoy 
the  glorious  consciousness  of  telling  the  truth  and  being 
no  impostor. 

The  captain  stared.  Although  a  worthy  and  upright 
man,  he  could  hardly  appreciate  the  line  of  conduct  I  had 
determined  to  adopt.  He  urged  that  if  I  remained  in 
those  seas,  and  avowed  myself  an  American  without  evi- 
dence of  the  fact,  I  should  beyond  all  doubt  be  impressed, 
and  under  such  circumstances  I  should  not  only  be  justi- 
fied by  the  strictest  code  of  morality  in  eluding  the  grasp 
of  the  kidnappers  by  changing  my  name,  but  be  a  great 
fool  for  rejecting  such  a  simple  and  harmless  means  of 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  301 

safety.  Nevertheless,  I  remained  firm  in  my  determina- 
tion. 

In  a  few  days  the  cargo  was  discharged,  and  I  learned 
that  the  sloop  was  about  to  proceed  on  a  trip  to  Barba- 
does,  and  that  Mr.  Thomas,  the  owner,  intended  to  go  in 
the  sloop  as  a  passenger  and  take  charge  of  the  business. 
I  had  seen  Mr.  Thomas,  who  was  a  fine-looking,  portly 
gentleman,  when  he  visited  the  sloop ;  but  he  had  never 
spoken  to  me,  and  I  had  no  longer  any  communication 
with  Mr.  Bohun.  Not  a  syllable  had  been  lisped  in  rela- 
tion to  further  compensation  for  my  services  in  St.  Bar- 
tholomew, which,  I  supposed,  had  been  undervalued  or 
forgotten,  as  a  matter  of  course.  But  in  this  supposition 
I  was  unjust;  for,  on  the  day  on  which  it  was  expected  the 
Lapwing  would  sail,  Bohun  came  on  board,  and,  referring 
to  my  conduct  during  the  hurricane,  said  he  felt  uneasy  in 
regard  to  my  situation  in  the  sloop,  especially  as  the  Lap- 
wing was  bound  to  a  port  whicli  was  much  frequented  by 
English  men-of-war.  He  suggested  that  some  business 
on  shore  would  be  preferable  to  a  voyage  to  the  Island  of 
Barbadoes. 

I  heartily  assented  to  this  view  of  the  subject,  but  added, 
that  having  neither  money,  clothing,  nor  friends,  I  felt  re- 
joiced at  procuring  employment  of  any  kind ;  but  if  I 
could  obtain  the  means  of  living  in  the  island  until  I  could 
meet  a  favorable  opportunity  to  return  to  my  native  coun- 
try, this  would  be  altogether  more  desirable  than  to  be 
compelled  to  serve  on  board  a  man-of-war. 

"  Well,"  said  Bohun,  "  I  will  represent  your  case  to  Mr. 
Thomas,  and  perhaps  he  will  be  able  to  make  some  satis- 
factory arrangement." 

In  two  hours  afterwards  the  Lapwing  was  ready  for  sea, 
being  confined  to  the  wharf  by  a  single  fast,  when  Mr. 
Thomas  came  on  board  accompanied  by  Bohun.  Mr. 
Thomns,  with  a  dignified  and  patronizing  air,  said,  "Young 
in:m,  Mr.  Bohun  has  just  informed  me  that  you  ren- 

26 


302  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

dered  valuable  aid  in  saving  my  vessel  from  shipwreck  in 
St.  Bartholomew.  It  is  a  service  that  I  cannot  forget ;  and 
I  shall  be  happy  to  bestow  upon  you  a  suitable  recompense. 
In  the  mean  time  you  had  better  go  ashore.  Mr.  Bohun 
will  take  care  of  you,  provide  for  your  wants,  and  endeavor 
to  procure  you  a  proper  situation." 

I  accordingly  went  below,  gathered  together  all  my 
worldly  effects,  which  were  confined  within  a  very  small 
pocket  handkerchief,  took  an  affectionate  farewell  of  my 
worthy  friend  and  quondam  brother,  Captain  Lordick,  and 
my  Saba  countrymen,  and,  lightly  clad  and  barefooted, 
cheerfully  stepped  on  shore,  somewhat  amused  at  the  sud- 
den change  in  my  destiny,  and  wondering  what  new  figure 
would  be  presented  by  the  next  shake  of  fortune's  kalei- 
doscope. 

Bohun  said  that  the  first  step  should  be  to  find  a  cheap 
and  comfortable  boarding  house,  where  I  could  remain  for 
a  few  days ;  that  a  widow  woman  kept  a  house  of  that 
description,  he  believed,  not  far  from  the  wharves.  He 
pointed  out  the  place,  and  suggested  that  I  should  call 
upon  her  immediately,  make  use  of  his  name,  and  ascer- 
tain her  price  for  board,  and  afterwards  proceed  to  the 
counting  room  of  Mr.  Thomas,  in  a  different  part  of  the 
town,  where  we  would  confer  together  further. 

The  boarding  house  to  which  Bohun  directed  my  atten- 
tion was  an  ordinary-looking  abode;  but  I  cared  little 
for  its  character,  provided  the  price  would  suit.  It  was 
kept  by  a  round-faced,  jolly-looking,  middle-aged  woman, 
whose  complexion  bore  unmistakable  evidence  of  her 
African  extraction.  I  told  my  errand.  She  threw  a 
suspicious  glance  upon  my  person  and  on  the  diminutive 
bundle  I  held  in  my  hand,  and  the  result  was  unfavorable. 

Putting  her  arms  akimbo,  and  assuming  a  stately  man- 
ner, which  appeared  to  be  far  from  natural,  she  told  me 
she  had  no  spare  room  for  boarders  —  her  house  was 
already  full. 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  303 

"  Very  well,"  said  I,  "  I  must  then  apply  elsewhere. 
Mr.  Bohun  said  he  thought  you  would  accommodate  me, 
and  he  would  be  responsible  for  the  pay." 

"Mr.  Bohun!  O,  that's  another  thing.  I  can  always 
find  room  for  a  friend  of  Mr.  Bohun ; "  and  the  whole 
broad  expanse  of  her  face  was  brightened  by  a  smile. 

On  inquiry  I  found  that  the  price  for  board  was  two 
dollars  and  a  half  a  day!  I  was  startled  at  this  an- 
nouncement. The  amount  struck  me  as  exorbitant  when 
compared  with  the  accommodations.  I  had  a  secret  mis- 
giving that  the  good  woman  had  not  scrupled  in  this  case 
to  add  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  per  centum  to  her  cus- 
tomary charges.  I  told  her  I  would  consult  Mr.  Bohun, 
and  be  guided  by  his  advice. 

I  lost  no  time  in  proceeding  to  Mr.  Thomas's  counting 
room.  I  communicated  to  Bohun  the  result  of  my  in- 
quiries, expressing  an  opinion  that  the  price  for  board  was 
exorbitantly  high.  To  my  astonishment  he  seemed  well 
satisfied,  pronouncing  it  reasonable  enough.  Being  unac- 
customed to  the  usages  of  the  place,  I  supposed  it  must 
be  all  right,  and  made  no  further  objections. 

Bohun  took  me  to  a  clothing  shop,  and  rigged  me  out 
from  head  to  foot  in  a  suit  of  decent  garments  —  a  luxury 
to  which  I  had  for  some  time  been  a  stranger.  He  also 
bought  me  an  extra  supply  of  clothing,  and  a  variety  of 
other  articles  which  he  assured  me  I  should  need. 

I  was  amazed  at  his  liberality;  but  knoAving  Mr.  Thomas 
was  a  rich  man,  I  presumed  that  Bohun,  by  ministering  to 
my  wants  in  a  manner  not  altogether  offensive  to  my 
pride,  was  seeking  to  cancel  obligations  on  the  part  of  his 
employer,  and  perhaps  at  the  same  time  was  obeying  the 
dictates  of  a  benevolent  heart,  by  rendering  important  as- 
sistance to  a  stranger  in  adversity. 

Week  after  week  passed  away.  I  saw  Bohun  from  time 
to  time,  but  he  could  not  procure  me  a  desirable  situation. 
In  the  mean  time  the  expenses  for  my  board  seemed  to 


304  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

me  a  serious  matter.  My  pride  took  the  alarm,  and  I 
could  not  rest  easy  under  the  idea  that  I  was  all  the  while 
living  like  a  prince  at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Thomas.  When 
I  mentioned  this  to  Bohun,  he  told  me  to  keep  quiet  and 
give  myself  no  anxiety ;  that  my  expenses,  which  I  re- 
garded as  so  heavy,  were  in  reality  trifling,  and  Mr. 
Thomas  would  never  miss  the  amount. 

A  few  days  after  this  conversation,  Bohun  called  at  my 
lodgings,  and  seemed  quite  excited.  "Hawser,"  said  he, 
"  I  have  pleasant  news  to  communicate.  I  have  been  so 
fortunate  as  to  secure  you  an  excellent  situation  on  a  plan- 
tation in  the  north  part  of  the  island.  Mr.  Church,  the 
attorney  for  the  Pearl  estates,  was  in  town  yesterday,  and 
on  my  recommendation  has  consented  to  take  you  to  fill  a 
vacancy,  in  preference  to  several  young  men  who  are  ap- 
plicants for  the  place." 

"  I  should  much  prefer  a  situation  as  clerk  on  a  wharf 
or  in  a  counting  room,"  said  I. 

"O,"  replied  Bohun,  "this  chance  with  Mr.  Church  is 
far  better  than  a  simple  clerkship  with  a  trader ;  the  duties 
are  not  so  arduous,  and  it  will  give  you  a  better  opportu- 
nity to  rise  in  the  world ;  besides,  Mr.  Church  is  an  excel- 
lent man,  a  whole-souled  Irishman,  who  has  been  in  the 
army,  and  has  great  influence  in  the  island.  He  will  send 
a  mule  and  a  guide  over  the  mountains  to-morrow ;  so  you 
must  prepare  for  the  journey  on  the  following  day." 

"Very  well,"  said  I,  hardly  knowing  whether  to  be 
pleased  or  dissatisfied  with  this  arrangement,  which  I 
decided,  however,  to  accept,  with  a  mental  determination, 
if  I  found  my  situation  objectionable,  to  abandon  it  at 
once,  and  if  I  could  do  no  better,  try  my  fortunes  again 
on  the  ocean.  In  the  mean  time,  I  should  see  a  new  and 
perhaps  interesting  phase  in  life. 

"  The  Upper  Pearl  estate,  where  you  will  reside,"  con- 
tinued Bohun,  "is  one  of  the  healthiest  estates  on  the 
island.  On  some  of  the  sugar  plantations,  'fever  and 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  305 

ague '  prevails  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  but  is  un- 
known on  the  Pearl  estates.  Your  situation  will  be  a 
pleasant  one  in  every  respect." 

I  shuddered  at  the  idea  of  fever  and  ague,  with  the 
name  of  which  disease  the  most  pleasant  associations  were 
not  connected,  and  congratulated  myself  on  the  fact  that 
the  Pearl  estates  were  exempted  from  this  and  almost 
every  other  evil  in  the  shape  of  sickness.  The  next  day 
I  completed  my  preparations  for  a  journey  across  the 
mountains  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  island.  Agreeably 
to  a  suggestion  from  Bohun,  I  procured  from  my  accom- 
modating landlady  her  bill  for  my  board  and  lodging ;  to 
this  she  added  another  item  for  washing,  swelling  the 
amount  to  the  very  respectable  sum  of  sixty-six  dollars. 

I  handed  the  bill  to  Bohun  with  an  innocent  and  con- 
fiding look.  He  cast  his  eye  over  it,  and  started  back 
aghast.  "What  is  all  this?"  said  he.  "What  does  it 
mean  ?  Why,  the  woman  is  crazy." 

"  It  is  right,  sir,"  I  replied.  "  Twenty-five  days  at  two 
dollars  and  a  half  a  day  come  to  sixty-two  dollars  and  a 
half;  and  the  washing,  at  one  dollar  a  week,  —  she  says 
she  cannot  do  it  for  less,  —  makes  a  sum  total  of  sixty-six 
dollars.  It  is  the  amount  agreed  on,  although  you  recol- 
lect I  expressed  an  opinion  more  than  once  that  the  price 
for  board  was  extravagantly  high." 

"Two  dollars  and  a  half  a  day /"  shouted  he.  "Why, 
I  understood  the  price  to  be  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week, 
and  supposed  that  half  a  doubloon  would  pay  the  whole 
debt." 

He  seemed  quite  indignant  at  "the  imposition,"  and  in- 
dulged in  severe  remarks  on  the  character  of  the  woman 
with  whom  I  boarded.  He  threatened  to  give  her  a  reg- 
ular reprimanding,  and  swore  he  would  cut  down  her 
bill  to  less  than  one  third  of  the  amount. 

On  the  following  morning,  at  about  seven  o'clock,  I 
again  went  to  the  counting  room,  and  found  opposite  the 

26* 


300  JACK   IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

entrance  a  mule  already  bridled  and  saddled,  with  a 
negro  guide  to  show  me  the  way,  over  the  mountains  by 
the  Grand  Etang  route,  to  the  Upper  Pearl  estate.  I 
took  leave  of  Bohun,  who  wrung  my  hand  affectionately 
at  parting,  and  taking  the  direction  indicated  by  my  guide, 
entered  on  my  journey. 

The  road  was  rough  and  muddy, — for  there  had  been 
heavy  rains, — the  mule  was  lazy,  and  I  was  unaccustomed 
to  this  kind  of  travelling ;  besides,  I  found  much  on  the 
route  to  excite  my  attention ;  much  which  was  novel  and 
highly  interesting.  My  progress  was  consequently  slow. 
The  road  passed  among  the  sugar  plantations,  which  were 
confined  to  the  comparatively  low  lands  near  the  sea 
shore ;  then  ascending  towards  the  mountains,  winded 
through  coffee  and  cacao  estates,  the  successful  cultiva- 
tion of  which  articles  of  commerce  requires  a  cooler  and 
moister  region  than  the  sugar-cane. 

During  this  journey,  I  often  stopped  my  mule  on  the 
summit  of  a  commanding  height,  and  gazed  admiringly 
around  on  the  beautiful  and  extensive  prospect.  The  well- 
cultivated  plantations,  each  appearing  like  a  village  in  it- 
self, scattered  among  the  many  hills  and  valleys  and  inter- 
vals even  to  the  very  sea  coast;  the  sea  beyond,  which  at 
that  distance  seemed  as  smooth  and  polished  as  a  mirror, 
encasing  the  island  in  a  frame  of  silver ;  the  luxuriant 
tropical  foliage,  whose  beauty  I  had  often  heard  described  ; 
the  cocoanut,  orange,  tamarind,  and  guava  trees,  loaded 
with  fruit ,  with  plantains,  bananas,  pineapples,  aloes  and 
cactuses  on  every  side,  all  filled  my  heart  with  wonder 
and  delight. 

Taking  the  road  leading  over  the  mountains,  which  is 
impassable  for  carriages,  I  passed  through  vast  tracks  of 
forest,  where  the  lofty  trees  were  covered  with  stout  vines 
reaching  to  the  tree  tops,  rendering  it  difficult  for  man  to 
penetrate  those  sylvan  recesses.  Near  the  highest  part  of 
this  mountain  road,  at  a  height  of  several  thousand  feet 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  3U7 

above  the  sea,  is  situated  a  romantic  lake,  called  by  the 
French  the  Grand  Etang,  or  Great  Lake,  which  fills  the 
crater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  Xear  this  spot,  where  the 
atmosphere  is  always  cool  and  humid,  we  were  suddenly 
enveloped  in  a  cloud,  and  soon  experienced  the  peltings 
of  a  tropical  shower.  I  received  conclusive  evidence  that 
my  garments  were  not  water-proof  before  we  could  find 
shelter  in  a  negro  hut  by  the  wayside. 

After  passing  the  Grand  Etang,  we  began  to  descend 
the  mountains  on  our  way  towards  the  north  side  of  the 
island.  The  sun  again  shone  brightly,  and  again  a  beauti- 
ful and  expanded  prospect  met  my  view.  To  the  eastward 
was  the  little  town  of  Greenville,  situated  at  the  head  of 
a  beautiful  bay,  in  which  several  ships  and  quite  a  number 
of  small  vessels  were  riding  at  anchor.  Far  to  the  north 
was  seen  the  high  and  rugged  island  of  St.  Vincent,  rising 
like  a  blue  and  jagged  cloud  out  of  the  sea;  and  between 
that  island  and  the  shores  of  Grenada,  a  birdseye  view 
could  be  obtained  of  the  little  islands  and  rocks,  some  cul- 
tivated and  some  barren,  known  as  the  Grenadines.  Among 
the  plantations  which  appeared  afar  off,  nearest  the  sea 
coast,  my  guide  pointed  out  the  Pearl  estates,  which,  he 
said,  with  a  degree  of  pride  that  caused  me  some  astonish- 
ment, produced  more  sugar  than  any  two  estates  in  that 
part  of  the  island. 

In  the  course  of  the  route,  I  asked  a  thousand  questions 
of  my  guide,  who  was  an  intelligent  slave  belonging  to 
the  Upper  Pearl  estate,  and  seemed  delighted  with  an  op- 
portunity to  display  his  knowledge.  He  gave  me  much 
information,  which  I  subsequently  found  to  be  correct,  in 
relation  to  the  mode  of  managing  estates  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  conducting  the  economy  of  those  establish- 
ments, each  of  which,  although  of  course  subjected  to  the 
general  laws  of  the  colony,  was  in  those  days  a  community 
of  itself,  under  the  government  of  an  absolute  despotism, 
the  best  government  in  the  world  provided  "the  head 


308  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

man "  possesses  the  attributes  of  goodness,  wisdom,  and 
firmness,  and  is  exempt  from  the  imperfections  which  seem 
inseparably  attached  to  human  nature.  But  when  a  des- 
pot can  boast  of  none  of  those  attributes,  woe  to  the  people 
who  are  obliged  to  submit  to  his  oppi'essions  and  obey  his 
behests ! 

The  island  of  Grenada,  as  is  indeed  the  case  with  most 
of  the  Windward  Islands,  is  well  watered  by  rivers  run- 
ning from  the  mountains.  Some  of  the  streams  are  of 
considerable  size,  and  are  never  dry  in  seasons  of  the  great- 
est drought.  The  water,  conducted  by  canals  from  these 
rivers,  constituted  the  chief  motive  power  for  the  machinery 
on  the  sugar  estates,  although  in  a  few  cases  windmills 
were  used  for  that  purpose.  The  estates  comprised  each 
an  area  of  some  two  to  five  hundred  acres,  a  considerable 
portion  of  which  was  planted  with  the  cane.  The  re- 
mainder was  improved  as  sites  for  the  various  buildings, 
gardens  for  the  slaves,  fields  of  corn  and  "guinea  grass," 
and  other  purposes.  The  "  sugar  works  "  were  placed  as 
near  the  centre  of  the  estate  as  convenience  would  admit. 
The  manager's  house,  which  was  a  large,  inconvenient,  one- 
story  building,  with  numerous  out-houses,  was  generally 
situated  on  an  elevated  spot  of  land  in  the  vicinity.  An- 
other house  of  smaller  size  was  occupied  by  the  overseers. 

At  no  great  distance  from  the  "  sugar  works,"  and  some- 
times in  close  proximity,  was  a  collection  of  huts,  thirty 
or  forty  in  number,  cheaply  constructed,  with  thatched 
roofs,  and  huddled  together  without  any  regard  to  order, 
or  even  convenience.  These  were  known  as  "  negro 
houses,"  the  dwellings  of  the  slaves,  where,  when  their 
daily  tasks  were  ended,  they  could  rest  from  their  labors, 
and  enjoy,  without  restraint,  the  few  comforts  which  shed 
a  gleam  of  sunshine  over  their  condition. 

In  their  houses  and  families,  the  slaves  made  their  own 
regulations.  Their  enjoyments  consisted  chiefly  in  social 
gatherings  and  gossip.  The  women  derived  gratification 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  309 

from  showy  dresses  and  decorations,  and  sometimes  dis- 
played their  barbarian  tendencies  by  indulging  a  love  for 
scandal  and  mischief-making.  They  seemed  constitution- 
ally gay  and  cheerful,  as  was  seen  by  their  merry  jokes 
and  songs ;  and  a  loud,  ringing,  contagious,  African  laugh, 
in  the  jocund  chorus  of  which  many  joined,  was  elicited 
on  very  slight  provocation. 

In  their  habitations  the  slaves  were  greatly  influenced, 
and  sometimes  controlled,  by  one  or  more  intelligent  indi- 
viduals, who  held  superior  positions,  as  is  often  the  case  in 
other  communities.  The  most  important  person  among 
them  was  the  "  head  field-driver,"  who  held  that  position 
on  account  of  his  superior  intelligence  and  fidelity.  The 
"head  boiler"  was  also  a  man  of  consequence  among  them, 
also  the  head  carpenter,  cooper,  and  mule-driver.  These 
and  others  filled  situations  of  responsibility,  which  re- 
quired more  than  ordinary  capacity.  Of  these  trusts  they 
were  proud. 

The  manager  or  overseer  on  a  plantation  seldom  inter- 
fered in  the  domestic  arrangements  of  the  slaves.  Their 
religious  and  moral  instruction  was  neglected.  The  mar- 
riage tie  was  not  regarded  as  an  indissoluble  knot,  but  as 
a  slender  thread,  to  be  broken  by  either  party  at  will.  It 
is  therefore  not  remarkable  that  the  habits  and  conduct 
of  these  children  of  bondage  were  not  of  the  most  exem- 
plary character.  Each  family,  who  wished  it,  had  a  small 
lot  of  ground  set  apart  as  a  garden  in  some  district  border- 
ing upon  -the  mountains,  where  those  who  were  frugal 
and  industrious  cultivated  yams,  cassava,  plantains,  and 
other  varieties  of  vegetables  or  fruit,  which  were  sold  to 
managers  of  estates,  or  carried  to  the  nearest  town  on  a 
Sunday  and  sold  in  the  market  place.  In  this  way  some 
of  the  most  thrifty  could  supply  all  reasonable  wants,  and 
even  indulge  in  luxuries,  which  made  them  the  envy  of 
their  neighbors;  for  even  in  the  lowly  negro  houses  of 
those  plantations,  as  in  every  other  assemblage  of  human 


310  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

beings,  without  regard  to  caste  or  color,  were  exhibited 
all  the  passions,  virtues,  and  weaknesses  incident  to  human 
nature. 

Sunday  in  the  island  was  generally  regarded  as  a  holi- 
day. The  slaves  on  the  plantations  on  that  day  passed 
hours  in  cultivating  their  gardens,  as  well  as  in  disposing 
of  their  produce  and  attending  to  their  other  concerns. 
The  planters  visited  each  other  on  the  Sabbath,  gave  din- 
ner parties,  made  excursions  to  the  neighboring  towns  to 
supply  their  wants  at  the  stores,  attended  militia  musters 
and  shooting  matches,  indulged  in  games  of  quoits  and 
other  sports.  But  religious  services  and  religious  instruc- 
tion were  almost  entirely  unknown.  Young  men  often 
came  to  the  island  who  were  educated  in  the  strictest 
Presbyterian  faith ;  lineal  descendants  of  the  old  Scottish 
Covenanters ;  they  were  scandalized  at  the  little  attention 
given  to  religious  duties  and  the  habitual  and  open  viola- 
tion of  the  Sabbath.  A  few  months,  however,  of  famil- 
iarity with  the  customs  of  the  island  produced  a  striking 
change  in  their  ideas  and  acts  ;  and  their  consciences,  which 
were  troublesome  at  first,  were  soon  in  a  state  of  quies- 
cence. 

A  small  amount  of  salted  provisions,  ling,  stock  fish,  or 
salt  fish  was  served  out  every  week  to  the  slaves  on  the 
plantations  as  a  relish  for  their  vegetables;  and  a  limited, 
indeed  scanty,  supply  of  coarse  clothing  was  annually  dis- 
tributed among  them.  For  other  articles  of  food  and 
clothing,  the  slaves  were  compelled  to  rely  on  their  own 
industry  and  management,  excepting  in  "  crop  time,"  when 
the  sugar  works  were  in  operation,  and  every  person  was 
allowed  an  unlimited  amount  of  sirup,  which  is  highly  nu- 
tritious and  wholesome. 

On  every  plantation  might  be  found  some  wretched- 
looking,  thriftless,  or  lazy  negroes,  of  the  vagabond  order. 
These  miserable  beings  formed  the  lowest  caste,  and  were 
despised  and  often  persecuted  by  those  of  their  fellow- 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  311 

slaves  who  were  orderly  and  industrious,  and  cherished 
habits  of  self-respect.  These  were  the  "pariahs"  of  the 
plantation,  constituting  a  class  of  runaways,  who,  to  avoid 
work  or  punishment,  or  the  gibes  and  jeers  of  their  more 
respectable  companions,  took  refuge  in  the  mountains,  and 
in  some  of  the  islands  became  formidable  by  their  num- 
bers and  ferocity.  In  Dominico,  at  one  period,  these  run- 
away negroes,  maroons,  as  they  were  called,  amounted  to 
more  than  a  thousand.  They  were  organized  and  armed, 
and  subsisted  by  committing  depredations  and  levying 
contributions  on  the  plantations.  They  were  subdued 
only  after  a  desperate  and  protracted  struggle. 

The  owners  of  plantations  in  the  English  West  India 
Islands,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  usually  resided  at 
"home,"  in  " Merry  England,"  or  the  "Land  of  cakes;" 
and  if  they  realized  a  handsome  yearly  profit  from  their 
estates,  seldom  interested  themselves  in  the  condition  or 
welfare  of  the  slaves.  Their  agents  in  the  islands  were 
called  attorneys,  and  were  vested  with  almost  unlimited 
power  in  the  management  of  the  property.  The  trust 
was  an  important  one,  and  the  labors  of  an  attorney  were 
well  compensated,  which  made  the  situation  desirable.  It 
was  sometimes  the  case  that  a  person  who  bore  a  high 
character  for  shrewdness  and  efficiency  acted  as  attorney 
for  several  estates.  This  gave  him  great  power  and  in- 
fluence, moral  and  political,  in  the  island. 

The  attorney,  holding  a  grade  higher  than  that  of 
manager,  kept  a  separate  establishment,  and  lived  in  a 
loftier  style.  He  often  resided  in  a  pleasant  and  healthy 
location,  some  miles,  perhaps,  distant  from  the  estate  whose 
interest  he  was  appointed  to  look  after,  and  revelled  in 
tropical  luxury  and  aristocratic  grandeur.  The  details 
of  operations  on  the  plantations  were  left  to  the  manager, 
who  was  appointed  by  the  attorney ;  and  this  situation 
being  one  of  great  importance,  the  manager  being  intrust- 
ed with  the  management  of  the  slaves  and  the  cultivation 


312  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

of  the  estate,  required  an  incumbent  of  superior  adminis- 
trative abilities  and  large  experience. 

The  manager  had  generally  two  assistants  to  aid  him 
in  his  arduous  task,  and  direct  the  operations  on  the  plan- 
tation. During  half  the  year,  while  the  canes  were  plant- 
ed and  growing,  these  assistants  superintended  the  agri- 
cultural labors  and  attended  to  various  other  matters,  and 
in  "crop  time,"  in  addition  to  their  usual  duties,  one  had 
charge  of  the  distillery  and  the  other  looked  after  the 
manufacture  of  sugar. 

These  assistants  were  called  bookkeepers  or  overseers. 
They  were  principally  young  men,  of  good  characters, 
steady  habits,  and  well  educated,  who  had  left  their  homes 
in  Scotland  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  the  West  Indies. 
Those  who  were  not  swept  off  by  malignant  diseases  in- 
cident to  tropical  climates,  and  who  continued  correct  in 
their  conduct  —  which  was  not  always  the  case  —  after  a 
few  years  would  be  promoted  to  the  situation  of  manager ; 
and  perhaps  in  time,  if  they  evinced  sufficient  capacity, 
would  reach  the  highest  object  of  their  ambition  and  be- 
come an  attorney.  It  will  be  recollected  that  the  poet 
Burns  passed  a  whole  day  in  taking  leave  of  his  "  High- 
land Mary,"  when  he  had  made  his  arrangements  for  going 
to  the  West  Indies  and  obtaining  a  situation  as  overseer 
on  a  sugar  plantation.  Very  few  cases  ever  came  to 
my  knowledge  where  a  Creole,  —  a  white  person  born  and 
"  brought  up  "  in  the  West  Indies,  —  was  engaged  on  an 
estate  in  any  capacity.  The  Creoles  were  reputed  lazy, 
loose  in  their  morals,  ignorant  and  unfaithful  agents. 
They  were  seldom  employed,  unless  on  a  plantation 
which  was  notoriously  unhealthy ;  where  no  man,  unless 
he  was  born  in  the  torrid  zone,  could  expect  to  resist  suc- 
cessfully the  poisonous  effects  of  the  miasma. 

From  what  I  have  said  it  will  be  inferred  that  the 
manager  of  a  plantation  possessed  great  power,  and  that 
the  treatment  of  the  slaves  was  regulated  in  a  great 


CROSSING    THE    MOUNTAINS.  313 

measure  by  the  promptings  of  his  head  and  heart.  A 
manager  with  a  clear  understanding,  equable  temper,  and 
elevated  principles,  could  reconcile  his  duty  to  the  pro- 
prietor with  justice  and  even  kindness  towards  the  slaves. 
So  far  from  treating  them  with  cruelty  or  even  severity, 
he  allowed  them  every  reasonable  indulgence,  and  while 
he  exacted  the  full  quota  of  labor,  looked  after  their  con- 
dition, and  made  them  as  comfortable  and  contented  as 
can  be  expected  in  a  state  of  bondage.  Such  managers 
were  seen  in  Grenada,  and  where  they  ruled,  the  estates 
were  prosperous,  and  the  slaves  cheerful  and  happy. 

Some  managers,  however,  were  of  a  different  character, 
and,  instigated  by  whim,  liquor,  an  evil  temper,  hatred  to 
the  African  race,  or  a  desire  to  get  an  impossible  amount 
of  work,  acted  the  part  of  tyrants  and  oppressors,  and 
made  the  slaves  feel  that  they  were  trodden  beneath  the 
foot  of  a  master. 

But  policy,  a  regard  for  the  interest  of  the  owner  of  the 
estate,  generally  prevented  the  infliction  of  ill  treatment 
and  privations  which  bore  severely  on  the  slaves;  and 
public  opinion,  as  well  as  the  laws  of  the  colony,  restrained 
the  manager  from  the  commission  of  extraordinary  acts 
of  cruelty.  In  the  British  island  of  Tortola,  only  a  few 
years  before  my  sojourn  in  Grenada,  the  manager  of  a 
plantation  was  arrested  for  causing  the  death  of  a  slave 
by  inhuman  punishment.  He  was  tried,  convicted  of 
murder,  and  hanged.  The  penalty  exacted  met  the  sanc- 
tion of  public  opinion.  A  full  report  of  the  trial  was 
published  in  a  pamphlet  form  and  circulated  among  the 
islands,  and  was  doubtless  the  means  of  preventing  similar 
acts  of  monstrous  cruelty. 

27 


314  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

SCENES     IN     GRENADA. 

OWING  to  the  many  delays  on  my  route  across  the 
mountains,  it  was  twilight  when  I  reached  an  ordinary 
looking  house,  situated  on  an  elevated  piece  of  land  sur- 
rounded on  every  side  by  fields  of  sugar  cane.  The  lands 
in  the  vicinity  appeared  low,  and  there  were  indications 
of  swamps  at  no  great  distance.  About  a  mile  oiF,  in  a 
northerly  direction,  was  the  bi-oad  ocean.  A  mule,  sad- 
dled and  bridled,  stood  at  the  door.  My  guide  told  me, 
with  an  air  of  triumph,  that  this  was  the  Upper  Pearl 
estate. 

As  I  alighted  from  my  mule,  a  tall  man,  with  a  sad 
countenance,  thin  and  pallid  cheeks,  and  a  tottering  frame, 
came  out  of  the  house  leaning  upon  the  arm  of  another 
person.  This  sickly-looking  gentleman,  who  proved  to  be 
the  manager,  welcomed  me  to  the  plantation,  and  expressed 
satisfaction  at  my  arrival.  He  was  on  the  point  of  leav- 
ing the  estate  for  a  few  days,  he  said,  on  a  visit  to  a 
friend  near  the  mountains.  In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Murray, 
the  gentleman  by  whom  he  was  supported,  was  to  look 
after  the  plantation  and  attend  to  my  comforts.  This 
spectral-looking  object  then,  with  difficulty,  mounted  his 
mule,  and  accompanied  by  an  able-bodied  negro  on  foot, 
slowly  rode  away  from  the  estate. 

Mr.  Murray  received  me  with  cordiality,  and  tendered 
me  the  hospitalities  of  the  mansion.  He  was  a  man  of 
pleasing  address  and  more  than  ordinary  intelligence.  I 
afterwards  learned  that  he  was  the  secretary  of  Mr. 
Church,  the  attorney  for  the  Pearl  estates.  After  some 
little  conversation,  he  abruptly  asked  me  what  quarter  of 
the  world  I  came  from. 


SCENES    IX    GREXADA.  315 

"  I  am  an  American,"  was  my  not  very  definite  reply. 

"  O,"  he  remarked,  with  a  significant  wink,  which  was 
evidently  intended  as  a  good-natured  hint,  "you  are 
from  Canada,  or  Nova  Scotia,  I  suppose." 

"  Xo,  sir,"  said  I,  emphatically,  determined  that  my  po- 
sition should  be  distinctly  understood,  "  I  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Tyngsboro',  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  and  am 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States." 

Having  a  vague  suspicion  that  the  Pearl  estate  was  not 
the  paradise  described  by  Bohun,  I  inquired  why  the 
manager  had  left  the  estate  so  abruptly. 

"Because  he  is  attacked  with  fever,  and  would  not  live 
forty-eight  hours  if  he  remained  here." 

I  was  shocked  at  this  announcement,  and  pursued  my 
inquiries.  "Is  fever  a  common  occurrence  on  this  planta- 
tion, or  is  this  sickness  of  the  manager  an  extraordinary 
case  ?  " 

"  Common  enough,  in  all  conscience,"  replied  Murray, 
with  a  laugh.  "  Mr.  Orr  is  the  second  manager  who  has 
been  driven  off  by  sickness  within  the  last  six  months. 
Two  overseers  have  died  within  a  year,  one  after  the  other, 
and  until  Mr.  Church  met  with  you,  no  one  could  be  found 
to  take  the  place,  which  has  been  vacant  several  weeks." 

This  was  interesting  intelligence,  but  I  continued  my 
inquiries.  "  If  the  estate  is  so  unhealthy  as  you  represent, 
why  are  you  willing  to  remain  here?" 

"  O,  my  stay  here  will  be  only  a  few  days,  or  weeks,  at 
most.  Besides,  I  am  well  seasoned,  having  resided  ten 
years  in  the  island ;  and  I  make  it  a  rule  to  keep  my  sys- 
tem well  fortified  against  fever  by  the  liberal  use  of  gen- 
erous liquors ;  and  if  you  hope  to  lice  here,  you  will  do 
well  to  follow  my  example." 

"Mr.  Bohun  told  me  that  the  Upper  Pearl  estate  was 
one  of  the  healthiest  on  the  island.  How  could  he  have 
been  so  grossly  deceived  ?  " 

"  Deceived  ?  not  he ;  all  humbug." 


316  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

"But  he  surely  does  not  know  the  estate  is  so  unhealthy?" 

"Not  know  it?  Bohun  not  know  it?  Certainly  he 
does.  Every  body  knows  it.  Every  estate  has  its  rep- 
utation, and  the  reputation  of  the  Pearl  estates,  both  of 
them,  is  notoriously  bad.  No  man,  unless  his  courage  or 
his  fortune  is  desperate,  will  take  a  situation  on  either  of 
these  plantations." 

I  was  astonished,  dumbfounded  at  this  intelligence, 
which  effectually  silenced  further  inquiries.  After  a  short 
pause,  Murray  proceeded :  "  The  fact  is,  Mr.  Church  told 
me  all  about  the  matter  yesterday  afternoon.  Bohun 
found  it  difficult  to  procure  you  such  a  situation  as  you 
wanted,  and  was  anxious  to  get  you  off  his  hands.  Meet- 
ing Mr.  Church  in  town,  he  asked  him  to  take  you.  Mr. 
Church  objected,  telling  him  it  would  be  a  pity  to  place 
you  on  the  Pearl  plantation,  where  you  might  drop  off  in 
less  than  six  weeks.  But  Bohun  urged  the  matter ;  re- 
quested it  as  a  personal  favor ;  and  they  being  country- 
men, you  know  —  and  so  —  and  so  —  you  see  your  busi- 
ness was  done,  and  here  you  are." 

I  undoubtedly  looked  grave  at  the  interesting  informa- 
tion thus  frankly  given ;  and  Murray,  remarking  it,  contin- 
ued, in  a  consolatory  tone :  "Never  mind,  my  good  fellow ; 
keep  up  your  spirits.  I  thought  it  best  to  tell  you  the 
worst  at  once,  and  let  you  know  what  you  have  to  expect. 
You  will  have  to  go  through  a  regular  seasoning ;  and  if 
you  can  stand  that  on  the  Pearl  estate,  you  may  take  your 
degree  of  M.  D.  as  Doctor  of  Malaria,  and  bid  defiance  to 
yellow  fever  forever  after ! " 

I  was  not  ambitious  of  such  a  distinction,  and  would 
gladly  have  declined  it,  were  it  possible ;  but,  on  calmly 
surveying  my  position,  there  appeared  no  alternative. 
Relying  on  the  correctness  of  Bohun's  suggestions  and 
the  disinterestedness  of  his  counsels,  I  had  taken  a  step 
which  could  not,  for  a  time  at  least,  be  retraced.  I  there- 
fore determined  to  go  forward  and  make  the  best  of  it; 


SCENES    IX    GRENADA.  317 

look  on  the  bright  side  of  my  situation,  if  it  had  any 
bright  side,  faithfully  perform  the  duties  of  my  office,  and 
trust  to  my  constitution  and  regular  habits,  in  spite  of  the 
counsels  of  Murray,  for  the  rest. 

I  felt  hurt  at  the  conduct  of  Bohun,  which  from  Mur- 
ray's version  was  not  such  as  I  was  prepared  to  expect, 
notwithstanding  my  experience  in  the  dark  side  of  human 
nature.  I  still  hoped  that  Murray's  statements  might  be 
exaggerated,  and  that  Bohun  was  actuated  in  his  conduct 
towards  me  by  feelings  of  grateful  kindness. 

On  the  following  day  Mr.  Church  visited  the  estate. 
He  was  a  middle-aged  man,  had  held  a  captain's  commis- 
sion in  one  of  those  British  West  India  regiments  which, 
after  having  been  reduced  to  mere  skeletons  by  battles 
with  the  French  and  yellow  fever,  were  unjustly  and  in- 
humanly disbanded,  at  a  long  distance  from  "home," 
leaving  the  brave  men,  who  were  thus  rewarded  for  their 
services,  to  return  to  their  native  country  as  they  could,  or 
struggle  for  a  precarious  existence  in  a  tropical  climate. 

Mr.  Church  chose  to  remain  in  the  island  and  engage  in 
the  planting  business.  Possessing  energy  of  character 
and  rectitude  of  principle,  and  having  influential  connec- 
tions, he  became  in  a  few  years  the  attorney  for  the  Pearl 
estates,  married  the  daughter  of  a  Scotch  planter,  and 
resided  very  pleasantly  and  happily  at  a  beautiful  seat 
called  Bel-Air,  situated  a  few  miles  from  the  Upper  Pearl. 
He  entered  into  conversation  with  me,  instructed  me  in 
my  duties,  regretted  the  absence  of  the  manager,  which 
might  unpleasantly  affect  my  comforts,  and  gave  me  some 
precautionary  hints  in  relation  to  my  health.  I  felt  some- 
what reassured  by  my  conversation  with  that  gentleman, 
and  erroneously  believing  it  would  be  in  my  power  to 
leave  the  island  if  I  shoiild  think  proper,  at  no  distant 
period,  indulged  in  no  unavailing  regrets,  but  philosophi- 
cally resolved  to  make  myself  as  comfortable  as  circum- 
stances would  allow. 

27* 


318  JACK   IK   THE   FORECASTLE. 

The  treatment  I  met  with  among  the  planters,  during 
my  whole  residence  in  the  island,  was  that  of  unvarying 
kindness ;  many  of  them  were  well  educated,  and  culti- 
vated a  literary  taste ;  had  well-furnished  libraries,  which 
were  not  kept  for  show ;  and  the  history  and  writings  of 
Ramsay,  Ferguson,  Burns,  Beattie,  Robertson,  Blair,  and 
other  distinguished  Scottish  authors,  were  as  familiar  with 
some  of  the  planters  in  Grenada  "  as  household  words." 
The  early  novels  of  the  "Wizard  of  the  North"  were 
then  exciting  much  interest,  which  was  shared  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  English  West  India  Islands. 

The  mildness  of  the  climate  seemed  to  have  a  tendency 
to  melt  away  that  frigidity  which  is  a  characteristic  of 
people  of  the  north,  and  the  residents  of  the  island  were 
as  frank,  free,  and  hospitable  as  if  they  had  never  been  out 
of  the  tropics.  I  soon  formed  many  pleasant  acquaintances 
and  acquired  many  fiiends.  And  this,  with  the  aid  of 
books  in  abundance,  enabled  me  to  pass  my  leisure  hours 
agreeably.  Notwithstanding  the  heat  of  the  climate,  and 
the  prevalence  of  the  erroneous  idea  that  violent  physical 
exercise  in  the  tropics  is  injurious  to  the  health  of  stran- 
gers, I  indulged  often  in  recreations  of  a  kind  which  ex- 
cited the  surprise  and  called  forth  the  remonstrances  of 
my  friends. 

From  my  earliest  recollection,  I  was  a  devoted  disciple 
of  good  old  Izaak  Walton,  and  the  rivers  on  the  north  side 
of  the  island,  rushing  down  from  the  mountains,  with  deep 
pools,  and  rocky  channels,  and  whirling  eddies,  being  well 
stocked  with  finny  inhabitants,  furnished  me  with  fine 
opportunities  to  indulge  in  the  exciting  sport  of  angling. 
My  efforts  were  chiefly  confined  to  the  capture  of  the 
"mullet,"  a  fish  resembling  the  brook  trout  in  New  Eng- 
land in  size  and  habits,  although  not  in  appearance.  It  is 
taken  with  the  artificial  fly  or  live  grasshopper  for  bait ; 
and  to  capture  it,  as  much  skill,  perseverance,  and  athletic 
motion  is  required  as  to  capture  trout  in  the  mountain 
gorges  of  New  Hampshire. 


NKS    IN'    GRENADA.  319 

I  also  occasionally  indulged  my  taste  for  rambling  in 
the  mountains.  In  these  excursions,  which,  although  ex- 
ceedingly interesting,  were  solitary,  —  for  I  never  could 
persuade  any  one  to  accompany  me,  —  I  always  took  a 
gun,  making  the  ostensible  object  of  my  rambles  the 
shooting  of  ramees  —  birds  of  the  pigeon  species,  of 
beautiful  plumage,  nearly  as  large  as  a  barnyard  fowl,  and 
of  delicate  flavor.  These  birds  inhabited  the  deepest 
recesses  of  the  woods,  and,  although  seldom  molested, 
were  exceedingly  shy. 

Few  animals  are  found  in  the  forests  and  mountains  of 
Grenada.  The  agouti,  the  armadillo,  and  the  opossum 
are  sometimes,  though  rarely,  seen.  The  only  quadruped 
I  ever  met  with  in  my  rambles  was  an  opossum,  which  I 
shot  as  it  was  climbing  a  tree.  Of  reptiles  there  are  none 
in  the  mountains.  There  are  several  kinds  of  snakes  in 
the  island,  some  of  which  have  never  been  described  by 
naturalists.  The  species  which  is  most  common  is  a  black 
snake  (constrictor)  of  large  size,  being  frequently  eight  or 
ten  feet  in  length,  and  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter. 
These  snakes  are  treated  not  only  with  forbearance  but 
kindness  by  the  planters,  and  in  return  render  important 
service  on  the  sugar  plantations,  being  most  persevering 
and  successful  rat  catchers ;  rats  are  abundant,  and  ex- 
ceedingly destructive  to  the  sugar  cane,  on  which  they 
subsist  during  a  considerable  portion  of  the  year.  None 
of  the  serpents  in  Grenada  are  poisonous,  but  in  some  of 
the  islands,  particularly  St.  Lucia,  there  exists  a  snake 
which  resembles  the  rattlesnake  in  the  ferocity  of  its 
attacks  and  the  deadly  venom  of  its  bite.  Having  no 
rattles,  no  warning  of  danger  is  given  to  the  unwary 
traveller  until  the  snake  darts  from  its  ambush  and  inflicts 
a  fatal  wound  ;  hence  the  name  given  to  this  dangerous 
reptile  is  the  lance  de  fer. 

In  penetrating  those  mountain  gorges,  and  climbing 
those  mountain  ridges,  steep  and  thickly  covered  with 


320  JACK    IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

forest  trees  and  vines  of  many  kinds,  of  luxuriant  growth, 
I  sometimes  passed  hours  without  meeting  any  sign  of  life, 
except  the  flitting  and  hum  of  the  humming-bird,  and  the 
loud  and  musical  coo  of  the  ramee.  That  mountain  wil- 
derness seemed  the  chosen  home  of  the  humming-bird.  I 
there  met  with  many  varieties,  some  of  which  were  ex- 
ceedingly beautiful.  My  appearance  in  those  forests 
caused  them  much  surprise,  and  to  gratify  their  curiosity 
they  sometimes  flew  towards  me,  and  hovered  within  a 
few  feet  of  my  face,  as  if  eager  to  examine  my  appearance 
and  learn  what  object  led  me  to  intrude  on  their  mountain 
haunts. 

There  were,  however,  other  and  less  interesting  inhab- 
itants in  that  region,  as  I  one  day  discovered  to  my  great 
consternation.  I  was  passing  up  the  bed  of  a  small 
stream,  where  the  water,  by  attrition  during  many  ages, 
had  worn  a  chasm  or  "flume"  through  the  solid  basal- 
tic rock,  the  walls  of  which  rose  at  least  a  hundred 
feet  nearly  perpendicularly,  when  I  found  an  obstacle  to 
my  further  progress  in  the  shape  of  some  large  rocks, 
which  had  fallen  from  above  and  blocked  the  passage.  I 
was  unable  to  scale  the  chevaitx-de-frise;  but  the  whole 
body  of  water  poured  through  an  aperture  three  or  four 
feet  above  the  bed  of  the  stream ;  and  although  it  looked 
dark  and  dreary  within,  instead  of  retracing  my  steps  to 
find  another  route  through  the  woods  to  the  spot  I  wished 
to  reach,  I  determined  to  force  my  way  into  the  gloomy 
cavern,  with  the  expectation  of  being  able  to  emerge  on 
the  opposite  side. 

I  listened  for  a  moment  at  the  mouth  of  the  aperture, 
but  heard  only  the  murmuring  of  the  stream  as  it  swept 
along  through  the  uneven  channel.  I  then  thrust  in  my 
head,  when  I  heard  a  rushing  noise  as  of  the  flapping  of  a 
thousand  wings,  and  the  next  moment  I  was  sprawling  on 
my  back  in  the  water,  having  been  summarily  capsized, 
partly  by  force  and  partly  by  an  involuntary  start  of 
terror ! 


Hawser  practising  gymnastics,  —p.  429. 


SCENES   IN    GRENADA.  321 

I  raised  my  head  and  beheld  a  legion  of  bats,  some  of 
them  of  uncommon  size,  issuing  in  a  stream  from  the  mouth 
of  the  cave.  These  animals  in  the  tropics  are  numerous, 
and  seclude  themselves  from  the  light  of  day  in  caverns  or 
other  dark  and  lonely  recesses,  where  they  attach  them- 
selves to  the  roof,  and  clinging  to  each  other  are  suspended 
in  large  pyramidal  clusters  or  festoons.  When  disturbed, 
they  take  wing,  and  hastily  quit  their  abodes.  By  unthink- 
ingly intruding  on  their  territories,  which  had  probably 
never  before  been  invaded,  great  alarm  was  excited  among 
the  inmates ;  a  terrible  confusion  ensued,  and  the  general 
rush  to  the  aperture  caused  my  unceremonious  overthrow. 

In  one  of  my  mountain  excursions,  I  lost  my  way  while 
enveloped  in  a  dense  mist,  and,  after  descending  a  steep 
ridge,  came  upon  a  platform  or  terrace  of  several  acres' 
extent,  which  at  first  view  seemed  to  have  been  formed 
by  artificial  means  on  the  mountain  side.  This  plain  was 
level,  and  thickly  covered  with  coarse  grass,  which,  finding 
a  genial  soil  and  region,  grew  to  a  height  of  five  or  six  feet. 
Xear  the  centre  of  the  prairie  stood  the  only  tree  which 
flourished  on  this  fertile  spot.  It  was  a  silk  cotton  tree.  I 
made  my  way  through  the  grass  with  difficulty  to  the  tree, 
which  by  measurement  I  found  to  be  twenty-five  feet  in 
circumference  —  larger  than  any  other  tree  I  ever  saw 
in  the  island.  Immense  branches  shot  out  horizontally 
about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  extending  to  a  distance 
in  every  direction  from  the  trunk  sixty  or  eighty  feet.  In- 
deed, the  gigantic  size  of  the  tree,  its  rich  and  luxuriant  foli- 
age, and  its  noble  and  majestic  appearance,  were  in  perfect 
keeping  with  the  place.  I  tarried  some  time  beneath  its 
branches,  and  gazed  with  interest  on  the  picturesque  scene, 
regretting  that  I  had  no  companion  to  share  my  admira- 
tion, and  thinking  that  as  doubtless  no  human  being,  unless 
some  wild  Carib  in  days  of  yore,  had  ever  previously  vis- 
ited that  singular  spot,  so  it  was  likely  centuries  would 
pass  away  before  any  other  individual  would  chance  to 


322  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

behold  and  admire  that  beautiful  terrace  on  the  mountain 
side.  I  then  plunged  among  the  trees  and  vines  growing 
upon  the  steep  declivity  on  the  further  side,  and,  after  a 
precipitous  retreat  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet,  heard  the 
murmuring  of  a  stream  below,  by  following  which  I  at 
length  reached  a  cultivated  district. 

The  clouds  on  those  mountain  tops  often  collect  with 
extraordinary  quickness,  and,  while  the  sun  is  shining 
brightly  on  the  cultivated  lands,  pour  down  the  ruin  in 
deluging  showers,  which,  rushing  in  cataracts  through  the 
gorges,  swell  the  rivers  unexpectedly,  sometimes  causing 
fatal  disasters  by  sweeping  away  horsemen  or  teams  when 
fording  the  streams.  The  rise  of  a  river  from  this  cause  is 
sometimes  alarmingly  sudden ;  the  water  comes  down  in 
solid  phalanx,  six  or  eight  feet  in  perpendicular  height,  and 
extends  from  bank  to  bank;  and  with  irresistible  force 
sweeps  down  rocks  and  trees,  shaking  the  earth  on  the 
banks,  and  making  a  loud  and  rumbling  noise  like  distant 
thunder. 

The  vicinity  of  Grenada  to  the  continent  causes  this 
island,  as  well  as  Tobago  and  Trinidad,  to  be  exempt  from 
the  hurricanes  which  have  proved  a  terrible  scourge  in 
several  of  the  Windward  Islands,  and  from  time  to  time 
have  been  terribly  destructive  to  life  and  property.  In 
Barbadoes,  on  the  10th  of  October,  1780,  nearly  all  the  plan- 
tations were  ruined  by  a  hurricane  of  inconceivable  fury, 
and  between  four  and  five  thousand  persons  lost  their  lives. 
Grenada  has  only  once  been  visited  by  a  hurricane  since 
its  first  settlement  by  a  French  colony  from  Maitinico, 
in  1650.  But  this  hurricane  was  the  means  of  removing 
a  far  greater  evil,  the  circumstances  attending  which  were 
of  an  extraordinary  nature,  and  Avhich  I  shall  relate  as  I 
learned  them  from  the  lips  of  many  who  were  witnesses 
of  their  occurrence. 

It  was  about  the  commencement  of  the  present  century 
that  this  island  suffered  much  from  a  visitation,  which 


SCENES    IN    GRENADA.  823 

threatened  to  bring  famine  and  desolation,  and  destroy,  not 
only  the  present,  but  the  future  hopes  of  the  planter. 
There  suddenly  appeared,  simultaneously  in  different  parts 
of  the  island,  a  great  number  of  black  ants,  of  large  size, 
being  fully  an  inch  in  length,  and  of  a  kind  until  then 
unknown  in  Grenada.  They  probably  belonged  to  the 
species  known  as  "the  large  black  ant  of  Africa,"  re- 
markable for  its  boldness  and  voracity.  Although  the 
inhabitants  of  that  fruitful  island  were  wont  to  treat 
strangers  with  hospitality,  they  were  inclined  to  depart 
from  their  usual  habit  so  far  as  related  to  these  new  and 
strange  visitants,  who  seemed  inclined  to  be  more  trouble- 
some than  was  consistent  with  the  welfare  of  the  old  resi- 
dents. 

In  the  course  of  a  couple  of  years  the  number  of  these 
invaders  increased  to  an  incredible  amount ;  they  attacked 
the  fruit  on  the  trees  and  the  vegetables  in  the  gardens ; 
and  the  fields  of  sugar  cane,  once  so  green  and  flourishing, 
soon  looked  as  if  a  fire  from  heaven,  the  scourge  of  an 
offended  deity,  had  passed  over  them.  Not  only  the  fields, 
but  the  trees,  the  roads,  and  the  dwelling  houses,  were 
covered  with  these  ants ;  and  when  all  sustenance  was  de- 
stroyed in  one  quarter,  they  took  up  their  line  of  march  in 
immense  armies  and  proceeded  elsewhere  in  search  of  food. 
In  these  migratory  excursions,  if  they  came  to  a  brook  or 
small  river,  their  progress  was  not  stayed.  Those  in 
front  were  impelled  into  the  stream  by  the  pressure  from 
behind;  and,  although  myriads  were  swept  away  and 
drowned  in  the  rushing  waters,  many  were  borne  to  the 
other  side  and  continued  their  journey.  In  some  cases, 
where  the  current  was  not  strong,  a  sort  of  living  bridge 
was  formed,  over  which  immense  numbers  of  these  pestif- 
erous insects  passed  in  safety  and  dry  shod.  Nothing 
seemed  to  check  their  progress  or  reduce  their  numbers. 

The  inhabitants,  both  white  and  black,  as  may  be  con- 
ceived, were  in  great  consternation,  and  were  about  to 


324  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

make  preparations  to  move  to  some  more  favored  soil,  when 
a  furious  hurricane  was  experienced.  The  destruction 
of  property  was  great ;  dwelling  houses  and  sugar  works 
were  destroyed,  and  lives  were  lost.  The  inhabitants  who 
survived  the  tempest  were  in  despair,  believing  their  calam- 
ities would  never  cease.  But  they  soon  found,  to  their 
great  joy,  that  this  hurricane  was  a  blessing,  rather  than  a 
curse.  The  black  ants  were  exterminated,  and  none  have 
since  been  seen  in  the  island. 


CHAPTER     XXIX. 

INSURRECTION     IN     GRENADA. 

I  HAVE  already  stated  that  the  French  established  their 
first  settlement  in  the  island  of  Grenada  in  1650.  They 
found  the  island  inhabited  by  the  Carib  Indians,  who,  re- 
garding the  white  men  as  beings  superior  in  goodness  as 
well  as  intellect,  gave  them  a  cordial  welcome,  and  treated 
them  with  kindness  and  hospitality.  The  French,  well 
pleased  with  their  reception,  gave  the  cacique  a  few 
hatchets,  knives,  and  beads,  and  a  barrel  of  brandy,  and 
very  coolly  took  possession  of  the  island  they  had  thus 
purchased.  Their  conduct  in  this  respect  reminds  one 
of  the  language  of  the  ill-treated  Caliban  to  the  proud 
Prospero : — 

"  This  island's  mine, 

"Which  thou  tak'st  from  me.    When  thou  earnest  first, 
Thou  strok'dst  and  made  much  of  me ;  wouldst  give  me 
Water  with  berries  in't;  and  teach  me  how 
To  name  the  bigger  light,  and  how  the  less, 
That  burn  by  day  and  night ;  and  then  I  loved  thee, 
And  showed  thee  all  the  qualities  of  the  isle  — 
The  fresh  springs,  brine  pits,  barren  place  and  fertile; 
Cursed  be  I  that  did  so." 


INSURRECTION   IX    GRENADA.  o^.3 

The  remonstrances  of  the  Caribs  against  the  wrongs  they 
were  doomed  to  suffer  were  as  little  heeded  by  the  cok 
onists  as  the  complaints  of  Caliban  by  Prospero..  The 
French  were  resolute,  powerful,  and  rapacious,  and  treated 
the  red  men  with  inhumanity.  The  Indians,  unable  to  con- 
tend with  their  oppressors  by  open  force,  fled  to  their 
mountain  fastnesses,  and  commenced  an  obstinate  preda- 
tory warfare  upon  the  whites,  murdering  without  discrim- 
ination all  whom  they  found  defenceless.  This  led  to 
a  bloody  and  protracted  struggle  for  the  mastery ;  and  a 
reenforcement  of  troops  having  been  sent  from  France  to 
aid  the  infant  colony,  it  was  decided,  after  mature  delibera- 
tion, that  the  most  expeditious  and  effectual  mode  of  end- 
ing the  war,  and  establishing  peace  on  a  permanent  basis, 
was  to  exterminate  the  Caribs. 

These  original  "lords  of  the  soil"  were  accordingly 
driven  from  their  fastnesses,  hunted  by  parties  of  soldiers, 
shot  down  like  wild  beasts  wherever  found,  until  their 
number  was  reduced  from  thousands  to  about  one  hun- 
dred. Being  cut  off  from  the  mountains  by  a  military 
force,  this  remnant  of  a  powerful  band  fled  to  a  promon- 
tory on  the  north  part  of  the  island  which  overlooked  the 
ocean,  and,  hard  pressed  by  their  civilized  foes,  more  than 
half  their  number  leaped  over  the  rocky  precipice  into  the 
sea  which  dashed  against  its  base.  The  others  were  mas- 
sacred. 

This  promontory  has  ever  since  been  known  as  "Morne 
des  Sauteurs,"  or  the  "  Hill  of  the  Leapers."  I  have  stood 
upon  the  extreme  point  of  this  promontory,  where  I  could 
look  down  some  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet  into  the  raging 
abyss  beneath,  and  listened  to  the  mournful  tradition  as 
detailed  by  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  the  island. 
This  is  only  one  of  the  vast  catalogue  of  cruelties  and 
wrongs  that  have  been  inflicted  on  the  Indians  by  the 
whites  in  constant  succession,  from  the  first  settlement  of 
the  New  World  to  the  present  time. 

28 


326 

The  French,  who  were  long  in  possession  of  the  island 
of  Grenada,  established  on  the  plantations  French  cus- 
toms, *he  French  language,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  re- 
ligion. When  the  island  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
lish, although  no  organized  plan  was  adopted  to  interfere 
with  the  customs  of  the  slaves,  or  change  their  language, 
the  English  failed  in  acquiring  the  attachment  of  the 
negroes,  who  lamented  the  absence  of  their  French  mas- 
ters, and  sighed  for  their  return. 

Early  in  the  year  1795,  during  the  French  revolution,  a 
plan  was  conceived  by  some  white  men  and  free  mulattoes, 
in  Guadaloupe,  who  were  aware  of  the  existence  of  this 
discontented  feeling,  to  create  an  insurrection  among  the 
slaves  in  Grenada,  and  take  possession  of  the  island.  Em- 
issaries were  sent  among  the  plantations,  who  conferred 
with  the  principal  negroes,  and  secretly  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  work  they  contemplated.  In  the  month  of 
August,  two  or  three  sloops,  each  containing  thirty  or  forty 
men,  with  a  supply  of  arms  and  ammunition,  arrived  in 
the  harbor  of  La  Baye,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island. 
The  expedition  was  commanded  by  an  active  and  intelli- 
gent mulatto  named  Fedon,  and  landed  in  the  night,  cap- 
tured the  small  fort  which  overlooked  the  harbor,  took 
possession  of  the  town,  murdered  a  number  of  the  white 
inhabitants,  and  plundered  the  houses  and  stores.  Run- 
ners were  employed  to  convey  the  news  to  the  different 
plantations,  and  the  insurrection  of  the  slaves  was  com- 
plete. 

Some  of  the  white  men  of  the  plantations  received 
secret  intelligence  of  the  rising  among  the  blacks,  and  lost 
no  time  in  fleeing  to  a  place  of  safety;  others  remained 
unconscious  of  the  approach  of  danger,  and  were  mur- 
dered. Deeds  of  cruelty  were  perpetrated  on  this  occa- 
sion by  the  negroes,  a  relation  of  which  would  chill  the 
stoutest  heart. 

It  unfortunately  happened  that  when  this  insurrection 


INSURRECTION   IN    GRENADA.  827 

l>roke  out,  the  acting  governor  with  several  members  of 
the  council,  and  some  merchants  and  planters  of  great 
respectability,  were  on  a  visit  to  the  eastern  part  of  the 
island.  As  soon  as  they  heard  of  the  attack  on  La  Baye, 
an  1  the  progress  of  the  insurrection,  they  left  the  quarters 
where  they  had  been  hospitably  entertained,  and,  accom- 
panied by  their  host  and  some  other  gentlemen,  proceeded 
to  the  sea  shore,  and  embarked  in  a  sloop,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  proceeding  to  St.  George,  which  was  the  seat  of 
government,  and  was  strongly  fortified  and  garrisoned. 

As  the  sloop  was  passing  the  little  village  of  Guayave, 
some  negroes  appeared  on  the  shore,  bearing  a  flag  of 
truce,  and  indicated  by  expressive  gestures  a  wish  to  hold 
a  conference  with  the  governor.  This  functionary,  not 
aware  of  the  dreadful  atrocities  that  had  been  committed, 
and  hoping  that  some  means  might  be  agreed  upon  to 
heal  the  disturbances,  imprudently  ordered  the  vessel  to 
be  anchored  in  the  roadstead,  and  himself  and  a  number 
of  the  most  influential  of  his  friends  went  ashore  in  a  boat, 
and  were  landed  on  the  beach.  A  party  of  armed  blacks, 
who  until  that  moment  had  been  concealed,  immediately 
surrounded  them,  pinioned  them,  and  marched  them  away. 
The  boat  was  seized  by  the  negroes,  and  a  party  pushed 
off  for  the  purpose  of  boarding  the  sloop,  and  securing 
the  remainder  of  the  white  men;  but  they,  having  wit- 
nessed the  capture  of  the  governor  and  his  companions, 
suspected  the  object  of  this  manuoeuvre,  cut  the  cable,  and 
with  a  fine  breeze,  distanced  the  boat  which  had  started 
in  pursuit,  and  proceeded  to  St.  George  with  the  mournful 
news. 

The  rebel  chief,  Fedon,  collected  around  him,  as  it  were 
by  a  single  tap  of  the  drum,  an  army  of  some  thousands 
of  blacks,  and  distributed  among  them  a  considerable 
number  of  fire-arms.  Others  were  armed  with  weapons 
hastily  prepared;  and  the  great  body  of  the  insurgents, 
being  desperate  men,  stimulated  by  the  hope  of  freedom 


328  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  the  desire  of  vengeance,  with  leaders  of  ability  and 
some  military  skill,  the  insurrection  assumed  a  formidable 
appearan'ce. 

Fedon  took  possession  of  Mount  Quaqua,  a  high,  steep, 
and  somewhat  bald  mountain  in  the  interior,  and  there 
encamped  with  his  army.  The  base  of  the  mountain  was 
cultivated,  and  furnished  excellent  pasturage  for  the  many 
cattle  which  were  driven  thither  from  the  various  planta- 
tions to  furnish  subsistence  for  his  army.  This  place  he 
fortified,  determined  to  make  it  his  stronghold  in  case  of 
adversity ;  and  he  went  vigorously  to  work  in  organizing 
and  disciplining  his  army  with  a  view  to  make  an  attack 
on  St.  George  before  the  government  could  receive  reen- 
forcements,  and  thus  get  possession  of  the  whole  island. 

The  governor  and  his  friends,  and  other  prisoners,  prin- 
cipally planters,  having  been  strictly  confined  for  several 
days,  and  treated  with  many  indignities,  were  conveyed 
under  a  guard  to  the  camp  of  the  rebel  chieftain.  Fedon 
caused  them  to  be  brought  before  him,  and  after  exulting 
over  their  capture,  and  heaping  upon  them  insults  and 
abuse,  ordered  them  to  be  shot.  This  sentence  was  ex- 
ecuted on  the  following  day.  Only  one  of  the  number 
escaped  to  tell  the  sad  tale.  This  was  Mr.  Bruce,  a  mer- 
chant residing  at  St.  George,  who  had  acted  as  attorney 
for  the  Pearl  plantations.  When  led  out  with  others  to 
be  executed,  a  negro  whispered  in  his  ear,  "Massa,  my 
capen  tells  me,  shoot  you !  but  I  no  shoot  you !  only  make 
b'live.  You  stand  up  straight  —  when  I  fire,  you  fall  to 
ground,  and  scream,  and  twist,  all  same  as  if  you  be 
dead!" 

The  deception  was  successful.  The  negro,  whose  name 
was  Quamina,  and  belonged  to  the  Lower  Pearl  estate, 
was  stationed  opposite  to  Bruce.  The  word  was  given. 
Bruce  fell  with  the  rest,  and  imitated  to  admiration  the 
agonies  of  a  dying  man ;  and  Quamina,  at  the  risk  of  his 
life,  succeeded  in  saving  that  of  the  white  man.  That 


INSURRECTION    IX    GRENADA.  329 

night,  he  contrived  to  get  him  outside  the  lines,  conducted 
him  on  the  road  leading  to  St.  George,  and  left  him.  Mr. 
Bruce,  after  much  fatigue  and  several  hair-breadth  escapes, 
readied  the  town,  being  the  only  one  among  the  prison- 
ers carried  to  the  camp  who  escaped  from  the  clutches  of 
the  monster. 

I  may  as  well  state  here,  that  after  the  insurrection  was 
quelled,  Mr.  Bruce  manifested  towards  his  preserver  a 
grateful  spirit.  He  wished  to  give  him  his  freedom,  but 
Quamina,  who  was  a  negro  of  consequence  on  the  estate, 
refused  to  accept  it.  Quamina  was  elevated  to  the  situa- 
tion of  head-boiler;  and  Mr.  Bruce  every  year  made  him 
a  visit,  gave  him  a  sum  of  money,  clothing,  and  valuable 
presents  for  himself  and  wife. 

The  military  forces  in  the  island  were  not  more  than 
were  needed  to  occupy  the  forts  and  defences  of  St.  George, 
where  the  white  population  had  fled,  with  the  little  prop- 
erty they  could  take  with  them  on  the  breaking  out  of  the 
rebellion.  Parties  of  insurgents,  commanded  by  chiefs 
appointed  by  Fedon,  who  exercised  absolute  power,  had 
the  range  of  the  rest  of  the  island.  The  rebels  made  a 
desperate  attempt  to  capture  St.  George,  but  were  repulsed 
with  great  loss. 

Afikirs  remained  in  this  condition  for  nearly  a  year,  be- 
fore any  efficient  measures  were  adopted  by  the  British 
authorities  to  regain  possession.  At  length  General  Aber- 
crombie,  with  a  large  military  power,  landed,  and,  joined 
by  the  regular  forces  in  St.  George,  and  some  companies 
of  militia,  succeeded  in  driving  the  insurgents  from  the 
sea  coast  to  the  mountains.  He  then  invested  Mount 
Quaqua,  cut  off  all  supplies  from  the  army  of  Fedon,  and 
compelled  him  to  fight,  surrender,  or  starve.  The  insur- 
gent chief,  with  some  of  the  leaders  of  the  insurrection, 
and  a  portion  of  the  rebels,  attempted  to  cut  their  way 
through  the  English  army,  and  some  of  them  succeeded, 
among  whom  was  Fedon.  He  proceeded  to  the  sea  const, 

28* 


330  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

embarked  in  an  open  boat  with  a  few  companions,  and 
was  probably  drowned,  as  he  was  never  heard  of  after- 
wards. 

The  plantation  negroes,  generally,  returned  to  the  estates 
to  which  they  had  been  attached,  and,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, were  forgiven,  and  work  on  the  plantations  was  re- 
sumed. A  number  of  the  colored  persons,  slaves  and  free- 
men, who  were  chieftains  under  Fedon,  or  had  signalized 
themselves  by  extraordinary  acts  of  cruelty,  were  arrested 
and  hanged. 

One  of  the  most  efficient  officers  among  the  rebels  was 
named  Jack  Shadow.  He  was  a  free  mulatto,  a  shre\vd, 
intelligent  Creole,  and  previous  to  the  insurrection,  had 
resided  in  the  town  of  Guayave,  and  exercised  the  trade 
of  carpenter.  With  the  assistance  of  his  wife,  a  mulatto, 
he  also  cultivated  a  garden,  and  contrived  to  gain  a  com- 
fortable living.  When  the  insurrection,  instigated  by  the 
French  revolutionists,  broke  out  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
island,  Jack  hastened  to  join  the  insurgents,  and  was  cor- 
dially received  by  Fedon,  who  intrusted  him  with  an  im- 
portant mission,  which  he  executed  with  such  adroitness 
as  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  chief,  who  appointed  him 
to  a  high  command  in  the  army.  Jack  was  one  of  Fedon's 
most  efficient  officers,  and  signalized  himself  by  his  bitter 
hatred  to  the  whites,  and  the  zeal  with  which  he  abetted 
his  chief  in  the  horrid  scenes  of  cruelty  that  were  en- 
acted. 

When  the  insurrection  was  quelled,  Jack  Shadow,  al- 
though wounded,  made  his  escape,  with  some  others  of  the 
most  obnoxious  rebels,  to  the  woods  and  mountains  in  the 
interior  of  the  island.  They  endeavored  to  conceal  them- 
selves from  the  pursuit  of  the  whites,  but  in  the  course 
of  one  or  two  years  were  all,  with  the  exception  of  Jack, 
ferreted  out  and  shot  when  apprehended,  or  taken  to  jail, 
tried,  and  hanged. 

Jack,  however,  remained  in  the  mountains.    A  large  re- 


IXSrBRECTIOX    IX    GREXADA.  331 

ward  was  offered  for  him,  dead  or  alive ;  and  parties  of 
armed  men  often  scoured  the  woods,  hoping  to  find  his 
lair  and  shoot  or  capture  the  rebel  chief.  But,  though  it 
was  known  lie  was  hid  in  a  certain  part  of  the  island,  he 
eluded  all  endeavors  to  arrest  him  for  ten  or  twelve  years, 
and  might  perhaps  have  died  of  old  age,  had  he  not  been 
betrayed  by  his  wife. 

It  was  subsequently  ascertained  that  Jack  had  erected 
a  hut  by  the  side  of  a  ledge  of  rocks,  which  was  almost 
inaccessible  to  a  stranger ;  and  this  hut,  being  surrounded 
with  bushes  and  undergrowth,  and  covered  with  vines, 
could  not  be  recognized  as  a  habitation  by  any  one  un- 
acquainted with  the  fact.  His  wife,  Marie,  remained  in 
her  humble  cottage  in  Guayave,  and,  it  appeared,  still 
cherished  affection  for  her  husband.  He  was  visited  in 
the  wilderness  by  Marie  at  certain  times,  and  supplied 
with  necessaries  and  whatever  she  thought  might  conduce 
to  his  comfort  in  that  wretched  abode.  At  his  urgent 
request,  she  also  furnished  him,  occasionally,  with  a  jug 
of  rum,  with  which  to  cheer  his  spirits  and  solace  his 
solitude.  He  gradually  acquired  an  insatiable  fondness 
for  spirituous  drinks,  and  insisted  on  being  supplied,  even 
to  the  exclusion  of  articles  vastly  more  suitable  to  his 
condition. 

The  consequence  of  the  indulgence  of  this  habit  was 
soon  exhibited.  He  became  gloomy,  sullen,  and  fero- 
cious. He  no  longer  treated  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was 
so  much  indebted,  and  the  only  being  with  whom  he 
associated,  with  his  wonted  kindness  and  affection,  but, 
when  maddened  with  liquor,  often  abused  her.  Marie 
bore  this  for  a  long  time  with  patience.  She  still  sought 
his  hiding-place  at  times,  and  bore  him  the  poisonous 
beverage,  probably  unconscious  that  she  was  thus  indi- 
rectly the  cause  of  the  changed  conduct  in  her  husband. 
He  continued  his  ill  treatment,  especially  when  under  the 
influence  of  liquor,  and  after  a  time  the  affection  of  Marie 


332  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

for  her  husband  was  extinguished.  She  began  to  regard 
him  as  the  fierce  outlaw  and  murderer,  who  cherished  no 
gentle  affections,  but  took  pleasure  in  abusing  the  woman 
who  held  his  life  in  her  hands,  and  had  labored  hard  and 
risked  much  to  screen  him  from  capture  and  cheer  him 
in  his  concealment.  Her  visits  became  more  seldom,  and 
the  ill  temper  of  her  husband  increased. 

One  night,  Marie  pursued  her  devious  way  to  the 
mountains  to  furnish  Jack  with  the  accustomed  supplies. 
He  snatched  from  her  hand  the  liquor,  and  took  a  deep 
draught.  The  poison  did  its  work.  He  became  excited, 
and  quarrelled  with  his  wife ;  and,  roused  to  fury  by  her 
reproaches,  struck  her  with  his  hand,  seized  her  by  the 
shoulder  and  thrust  her  from  the  hut,  tumbling  her  over 
the  ledge.  Marie  rose,  groaning  with  pain,  being  severely 
bruised.  The  cup  of  her  indignation,  which  had  long 
been  full,  was  now  overflowing.  She  slowly  returned  to 
her  home  in  Guayave,  brooding  over  schemes  of  revenue, 
and  formed  the  detennination  to  betray  her  husband  into 
the  hands  of  justice.  She  called  upon  Dr.  Duncan,  a  rich 
planter  and  a  magistrate,  and  offered  to  guide  him  to  the 
spot  where  Jack  Shadow,  the  daring  rebel,  was  con- 
cealed. 

Within  a  couple  of  hours  after  the  magistrate  re- 
ceived the  welcome  information,  he  was  on  his  way  to 
the  mountains,  accompanied  by  Marie  and  a  guard  of 
soldiers.  They  entered  the  thicket  on  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  where  Jack  Shadow  had  taken  up  his  abode. 
They  came  to  a  precipitous  ledge  of  rocks.  "  Move  gently, 
now,"  said  Marie,  in  a  low  voice ;  "  we  are  close  upon  his 
hut." 

The  soldiers  could  see  nothing  resembling  a  hut.  With 
their  muskets  loaded,  and  bayonets  fixed,  they  with  diffi- 
culty made  their  way  through  steep,  rugged,  and  crooked 
passes,  and,  after  a  toilsome  march,  stood  by  the  side  of 
Jack's  habitation. 


INSURRECTION   IX    GRENADA.  333 

The  sergeant  was  now  quietly  arranging  his  men  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  insure  the  captivity  or  death  of  the 
outlaw,  when  one  of  the  soldiers  stumbled,  and  his  mus- 
ket struck  the  ground  with  a  ringing  noise.  Jack,  who 
had  just  awakened  from  his  drunken  nap,  heard  the 
ominous  sound.  He  had  no  weapons,  but  relied  on  the 
security  of  his  retreat  and  his  activity  and  strength.  He 
cautiously  opened  the  door,  in  front  of  which  stood  a 
soldier  with  his  musket  pointed  towards  him.  The  ser- 
geant cried,  "  Surrender,  or  you  are  a  dead  man ! " 

Jack  made  one  last  desperate  struggle  for  life.  He 
sprang  down  the  ledge,  turned  aside  with  one  hand  the 
bayonet  which  was  thrust  at  his  bosom,  and  felled  the 
soldier  with  the  other ;  but  ere  he  could  clear  the  guard, 
his  shoulder  was  transfixed  by  another  bayonet,  which 
disabled  him,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  was  stretched  at 
the  feet  of  the  soldiers,  a  wounded,  pinioned  captive. 
Before  the  sun  had  set  that  afternoon  he  was  securely 
lodged  in  the  prison  at  Guayave,  heavily  ironed,  and  the 
prison  was  guarded  by  a  detachment  of  soldiers. 

The  trial  of  Jack  Shadow  soon  came  on  before  a  bench 
of  magistrates.  His  identity  was  proved ;  also  the  con- 
spicuous part  he  had  taken  in  the  insurrection,  and  the 
bloody  acts  which  he  had  committed.  The  outlaw  was 
condemned  to  death.  His  deportment  was  sullen  and 
dogged  to  the  last.  He  refused  to  see  his  wife,  who, 
when  too  late,  regretted  the  steps  which,  prompted  by 
anger  and  a  short-lived  desire  for  revenge,  she  had  taken 
for  his  arrest.  He  was  hanged  on  a  gallows,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  outside  the  village  of  Guayave. 


334  JACK    IK    THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

WEST     INDIA     LIFE. 

I  REMAINED  on  the  Upper  Pearl  estate,  and  found 
much  to  interest  an  inquiring  mind.  Murray,  although 
there  were  some  good  points  about  him,  was  not  con- 
sidered trustworthy.  In  his  cups  he  was  quarrelsome  and 
as  choleric  as  a  Welshman ;  and  a  fondness  for  liquor 
was  his  besetting  sin.  He  was  an  excellent  accountant 
and  an  efficient  clerk,  but  could  hardly  be  relied  on  when 
a  clear  head  and  cool  judgment  were  required. 

A  short  time  before  I  became  acquainted  with  Murray, 
he  had  quarrelled  at  a  dinner  party  with  a  Mr.  Reed,  the 
manager  of  a  coffee  plantation.  The  lie  was  exchanged, 
a  blow  was  struck ;  a  challenge  was  given  and  accepted 
on  the  spot.  The  next  morning  the  parties  met,  with 
their  seconds,  firmly  bent  upon  shooting  each  other. 
There  was  no  flinching  on  the  part  of  the  principals ;  no 
desire  evinced  to  give  or  receive  an  apology.  The  sec- 
onds, however,  were  made  of  milder  stuff;  and,  neither 
of  them  being  Irishmen,  thought  they  would  be  justified 
in  rendering  the  duel  a  bloodless  one,  and  transforming 
a  grave  matter  into  a  harmless  joke.  They  accordingly 
loaded  the  pistols  with  powder  only,  keeping  the  bullets 
in  their  pockets;  probably  taking  the  hint  from  the  well- 
blazoned  proceedings  in  the  duel  fought  at  Chalk  Farm, 
a  few  years  before,  between  Jeffries  and  Moore, 

"  When  Little's  leadless  pistol  met  the  eye, 
While  Bow  Street  myrmidons  stood  laughing  by." 

The  word  was  given,  and  both  parties  fired.  No  harm 
was  done;  but  apologies  were  out  of  the  question,  and 
"  another  shot "  was  loudly  and  peremptorily  called  for, 


WEST    IXDIA    LIFE.  335 

and  the  distance,  eight  paces,  was  shortened  to  six.  The 
farce  was  again  repeated,  when  Murray,  wondering  at 
the  bloodless  result,  espied  a  smile  on  the  features  of  his 
second,  which  did  not  seem  in  keeping  with  the  grav- 
ity of  the  occasion.  His  suspicions  were  aroused ;  and 
the  seconds,  on  being  charged  with  duplicity,  acknowl- 
edged the  fact,  adding  that  it  would  be  worse  than  folly 
to  shoot  each  other,  and  suggesting  that  they  should 
shake  hands,  take  a  good  breakfast  together,  and,  in  a 
Christian  spirit,  banish  all  enmity  from  their  hearts. 

This  advice,  so  wise  in  itself,  was  not  taken  in  good 
part  by  either  of  the  principals.  They  were  indignant 
at  having  been  imposed  upon,  and  made  a  laughing-stock 
to  the  community.  Murray  could  not  control  his  temper, 
but  threw  his  pistol  at  the  head  of  his  second,  cutting 
him  badly  in  the  face,  and  knocking  him  over ;  he  chased 
the  second  of  his  antagonist  off  the  field,  and  then  offered 
his  hand  to  the  man  whom  he  had  twice  attempted  to 
shoot,  which  in  a  kind  spirit  was  heartily  grasped ;  and 
the  two  principals  in  the  duel,  who,  five  minutes  before, 
eagerly  thirsted  for  each  other's  blood,  rode  off  together 
sworn  friends  and  brothers,  and  were  afterwards  as  great 
cronies  as  the  Irish  Bard  and  the  Scotch  Reviewer. 

Mr.  Orr,  the  manager  of  the  Upper  Pearl,  who  left  the 
estate,  bowed  down  by  disease,  on  the  evening  of  my 
arrival,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death.  When  he  re- 
covered, after  a  severe  illness  of  several  weeks,  he  refused 
to  resume  his  situation,  declaring  he  had  got  enough  of 
the  Pearls  to  last  him  his  lifetime. 

Mr.  Church  rode  over  from  his  residence  every  morn- 
ing, and  gave  instructions,  which  I  carried  out  to  the 
best  of  my  ability.  The  reputation  of  the  Pearl  estates 
for  fevers  was  such,  it  was  difficult  to  find  a  respectable 
person  who  would  take  the  situation  of  manager;  or,  if 
he  accepted  the  situation,  relying  on  the  strength  of  his 
constitution,  he  was  not  wont  to  occupy  it  long.  One  of 


330  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

that  description  was  engaged  after  Orr's  resignation  was 
received,  but  he  was  driven  off  in  a  few  weeks  by  an 
attack  of  fever  and  ague,  which  nearly  shook  him  to 
atoms.  Another,  of  more  doubtful  character,  was  sub- 
sequently engaged,  but  he  was  found  by  the  attorney 
tipsy  before  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  Had  it  been 
in  the  afternoon,  it  might  have  been  excused  ;  but  to  get 
drunk  in  the  morning  was  an  unpardonable  offence.  In 
vain  he  pleaded  that  he  had  taken  only  a  few  drops  to 
neutralize  the  effects  of  the  malaria ;  he  was  discharged. 

After  a  few  months'  residence  on  this  plantation, 
breathing  by  night  and  by  day  the  foul  and  noxious 
miasma  from  the  swamps,  and  just  as  I  began  to  flatter 
myself  that  my  constitution  would  weather  the  storm,  I 
experienced  an  attack  of  headache,  chills,  and  fever.  By 
dint  of  resolution  and  nerve,  which  will  accomplish  much, 
I  succeeded  in  throwing  it  off,  being  determined  not  to 
succumb  through  imagination  or  fear.  A  few  days  after- 
wards the  attack  was  renewed  with  greater  violence,  and 
I  was  compelled  to  admit  its  reality,  and  acknowledge  the 
supremacy  of  remittent  fever.  Mr.  Church  manifested 
much  interest  in  my  behalf.  He  caused  a  skilful  physi- 
cian to  attend  me,  and  promptly  provided  me  with  every 
thing  the  occasion  required,  excepting  a  salubrious  atmos- 
phere ;  and  on  being  told  that  this  was  indispensable  to 
my  recovery,  he  generously  caused  me  to  be  transported 
on  a  litter  to  "  Bel-Air,"  the  beautiful  and  healthy  villa 
in  which  he  resided.  Here  I  was  provided  with  a  com- 
fortable apartment,  and  received  the  kindest  attention 
from  Mrs.  Church.  After  a  severe  struggle  the  fever 
left  me  in  a  weak  and  emaciated  condition,  and  weeks 
elapsed  before  I  was  permitted  to  resume  my  duties  on 
the  estate. 

My  wardrobe,  although  it  had  been  replenished  by 
Bohun,  in  a  style  which  I  thought  unnecessarily  liberal, 
was  still  far  from  approaching  what,  by  persons  of  simple 


AVKST    INDIA    LIFK. 

tastes,  would  be  called  genteel.  As  I  was  now  liable  to 
be  thrown  into  the  company  of  the  well-dressed  visitors 
to  Bel-Air,  it  was  thought  by  Mr.  Church  —  perhaps  at 
the  suggestion  of  his  wife  —  that  some  improvement  in 
my  external  appearance  might  be  desirable.  Accordingly, 
one  day,  on  returning  from  a  journey  to  St.  George,  he 
brought  me,  greatly  to  my  astonishment,  a  dress  coat,  of 
bottle-green  hue,  much  too  large,  which  he  had  purchased 
ready-made  ;  a  pair  of  stockinet  pantaloons,  too  tight  for 
even  my  slim  shanks,  and  a  flashy-looking  vest,  which,  for 
aught  I  know,  may  have  been  made  of  the  stuff  called 
"  thunder  and  lightning ; "  so  that,  when  rigged  out  in 
my  genteel  habiliments,  I  must  have  looked  not  unlike 
Moses,  in  the  "  Vicar  of  Wakefield,"  going  to  the  fair, 
but  far  more  ridiculous ! 

I  cared  less  about  the  effect  I  might  produce  in  my 
unaccustomed  finery  than  the  expense  of  such  luxuries, 
which  I  knew  I  could  not  afford,  and  which  would  inev- 
itably subject  me  to  much  inconvenience.  My  salary,  I 
found  on  inquiry,  was  a  nominal  one,  —  barely  sufficient 
to  furnish  me  with  ordinary  comforts.  I  had  already 
incurred  a  serious  debt  in  the  purchase  of  a  saddle  and 
bridle  and  other  articles  which  I  could  not  dispense  with ; 
ain I  although  I  fully  believed  Mr.  Thomas  would  never 
call  upon  me  to  refund  his  disbursements  on  my  account 
in  St.  George,  I  knew  human  nature  too  well  to  suppose 
that  Mr.  Church  would  not  deduct  from  my  salary  the 
price  of  those  genteel  articles  of  dress,  which  were  of  no 
more  use  to  me  than  a  marlinspike  to  a  dandy.  Indeed, 
had  I  indulged  in  such  unreasonable  hopes,  I  should  have 
been  undeceived  when  a  bill  for  sundries  from  a  trader 
came  to  hand,  of  an  amount  far  exceeding  my  expecta- 
tions, with  a  polite  request  that  I  would  transmit  the 
money  at  the  earliest  convenience  ! 

There  was  no  help  ;  I  had  put  my  hand  to  the  plough, 
and  must  go  forward.  I  thus  found  myself  enchained  to 

29 


338  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

the  island  for  at  least  twelve  months.  Indeed,  a  longer 
period  than  that  must  elapse  before  I  could  expect,  by  the 
closest  economy,  to  pay  off  the  debts  I  had  incurred.  I 
now,  too  late,  regretted  that  I  had  listened  to  the  represen- 
tations of  Bohun,  and  allowed  him  to  manifest  his  grati- 
tude for  my  services,  the  consequences  of  which  served  to 
embarrass  me,  and  place  me  in  a  position  which  I  did  not 
covet;  for  which  I  was  not  calculated  by  habit  or  inclina- 
tion, but  from  which  I  could  see  no  means  of  escaping. 

I  returned  to  the  Pearl  estate  and  resumed  my  avoca- 
tions. Months  passed  away ;  and  although  an  occasional 
chill,  followed  by  fever,  reminded  me  that  I  was  continually 
breathing  an  unhealthy  atmosphere,  I  felt  a  sanguine  hope 
that  I  should  not  again  be  affected  by  diseases  incident  to 
the  climate,  and  that  I  had  already  qualified  myself  for  the 
honorary  degree  which  was  referred  to  by  my  friend  Mur- 
ray. My  hopes  were  fallacious.  I  was  again  attacked  by 
a  remittent  fever  of  an  obstinate  character.  I  was  again 
conveyed  to  Bel-Air.  The  doctor  was  again  summoned, 
and  he  had  a  difficult  task  in  restoring  me  to  health.  But 
he  protested  against  my  return  to  the  Pearl  estate,  declar- 
ing that  another  attack  would  place  me  beyond  the  reach 
of  medical  assistance. 

It  chanced  that  Mr.  Coxall,  a  rich  merchant  of  St. 
George,  who  had  a  lumber  yard  and  depot  of  stores  in 
Greenville,  was  in  want  of  a  clerk  to  look  after  his  affairs 
in  that  place,  and  in  consequence  of  Mr.  Church's  recom- 
mendation he  gave  me  the  situation.  My  duties  were 
pleasant ;  and  I  often  visited  the  plantations  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, where  I  acquired  a  number  of  friends.  My 
emoluments,  however,  were  inconsiderable ;  I  was  in  debt, 
and  the  amount  of  my  pecuniary  obligations  was  not  les- 
sened by  the  repeated  visits  of  a  popular  physician  during 
my  sickness. 

During  this  time  I  had  not  heard  a  word  from  Mr. 
Thomas,  or  Bohun,  his  clerk.  I  supposed  they  had  for- 


WEST    IXDIA    LIFE.  330 

on  me;  but  I  did  those  gentlemen  injustice.  I  had 
liardly  been  a  year  in  the  island  when  I  received  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Thomas,  enclosing  a  bill  in  the  handwriting  of 
Bohun,  of  every  article  with  which  I  had  been  furnished 
in  St.  George,  not  omitting  my  board  at  two  dollars  and 
a  half  a  day,  which  Bohun  so  roundly  swore  should  be 
reduced  at  least  two  thirds.  The  sum  total  of  the  bill 
amounted  to  more  than  one  hundred  dollars, — an  enormous 
sum  in  my  then  straitened  circumstances;  and  the  letter 
contained  an  intimation  that,  having  been  a  year  in  the 
island,  and  in  regular  employment,  it  was  expected  that 
I  was  able  and  willing  to  settle  the  accompanying  bill ! 

Although  I  entertained  faint  hopes  of  being  able  at  some 
future  day  to  reimburse  Mr.  Thomas  for  his  expenses  on 
my  account,  I  never  expected  that  he  would  make  out 
this  bill,  including  even  the  most  trifling  item,  or  hold  me 
responsible  for  the  unpardonable  blunder  of  Bohun  in  re- 
lation to  my  board,  and  subject  me  to  the  mortification  of 
a  dun.  It  appeared,  however,  that  he  considered  all  obli- 
gations, on  his  part,  discharged,  when  an  unenviable  situa- 
tion was  procured  for  me  on  a  plantation,  where  the 
chances  were  nine  out  of  ten  that  I  should  find  my  grave 
within  three  months !  I  made  a  brief  reply  to  this  letter, 
in  which  I  expressed  my  feelings  without  reserve  ;  as- 
sured him  he  need  not  trouble  himself  further  about  his 
money ;  that  if  I  lived  he  should  receive  the  full  amount, 
principal  and  interest,  as  soon  as  I  could  earn  it. 

This  unexpected  demand  on  my  resources  troubled  me 
greatly.  It  had  the  effect  to  postpone,  almost  indefinitely, 
the  time  when  I  should  leave  Grenada,  and  return  to  the 
occupation  I  preferred,  that  of  a  mariner.  I  could  not 
quit  the  island  honorably  or  openly  without  paying  my 
debts ;  and  I  could  not  for  a  moment  entertain  the  idea 
of  sneaking  out  of  it  in'a  clandestine  manner.  I  was  the 
o'lly  citizen  of  the  United  States  in  the  island,  and  I  per- 
suaded myself  that  the  honor  and  reputation  of  my  coun- 


340  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

• 

try  were  identified,  to  a  certain  extent,  with  my  conduct 
while  exercising  a  humble  employment  in  that  secluded 
portion  of  the  globe.  It  would  be  well  if  others,  exercis- 
ing duties  of  a  more  important  nature,  would  recollect  this 
fact ;  and  when  their  consciences  or  sense  of  propriety  are 
not  sufficient  to  restrain  them  from  unworthy  acts,  let 
them  summon  patriotism  to  their  aid,  and  remember  that 
the  disgrace  is  not  confined  to  themselves,  but  is  shared  by 
the  land  which  gave  them  birth.  By  acting  on  this  prin- 
ciple, our  country  would  be  more  honored  abroad  than  it 
now  is. 

After  I  left  the  Pearl  estate  I  enjoyed  excellent  health, 
with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  attack  of  intermittent 
fever,  —  a  malady  which,  although  distressing  and  debilita- 
ting, is  seldom  regarded  as  alarming.  Those  only,  who 
were  liberally  dosed  some  forty  years  ago  with  the  powder 
of  Peruvian  bark,  the  sovereign  remedy  for  fever  and  ague, 
can  duly  estimate  the  value  of  the  services  rendered  to 
suffering  humanity  by  the  discovery  of  a  mode  of  adminis- 
tering it  in  a  concentrated  form,  that  of  quinine. 

'Although  some  estates  were  regarded  as  healthy  while 
others  were  notoriously  the  reverse,  on  no  part  of  the 
island  could  persons  be  secure  from  those  fatal  diseases, 
most  dreaded  in  a  tropical  climate,  such  as  dysentery,  and 
malignant  or  yellow  fever.  It  was  really  startling  to  no- 
tice the  sudden  deaths  which  sometimes  took  place  even 
among  those  who  considered  themselves  acclimated,  and 
wore  habitually  in  the  enjoyment  of  excellent  health. 
This  may  have  been,  in  part,  owing  to  the  irregular  mode 
of  living  in  a  climate  where  the  humanizing  influence  of 
female  society  was  but  little  known.  Dinner  parties 
among  the  planters  were  frequent,  where  the  most  tempt- 
ting  liquors  were  produced,  and  excesses  on  such  occasions, 
when  fun  and  frolic  ^ere  rife,  were  considered  not  only 
excusable  but  laudable. 

I  had  been  two  years  in  the  island,  when  I  received  :;u 


\VKST    INDIA    LIFE.  ^  U 

• 

official  notification  that  I  was  appointed  one  of  the  consta- 
bles or  civil  officers  of  the  district  in  which  I  resided,  and 
was  expected  to  qualify  myself  forthwith  to  perform  my 
duties.  Being  well  known  as  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  this  event ;  and  believing 
that  I  could  not  legally  discharge  the  duties  of  any  office 
of  trust,  honor,  or  emolument,  however  humble,  under  the 
British  government,  I  hastened  off  at  once  to  Mr.  Lunis- 
den,  an  old,  and  highly  respectable  planter,  who  resided  on 
his  own  estate,  and  had  acted  as  a  magistrate  for  many 
years. 

"Mr.  Lumsden,"  said  I,  exhibiting  the  document,  "I 
have  been  appointed  a  constable  for  this  district." 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  The  appointment  is  a  good  one. 
I  recommended  you  myself." 

"I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  good  opinion,"  said  I, 
"  but  you  know  very  well  that  I  am  a  citizen  of  the  Uni- 
ted States ;  have  never  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  British  government,  and  never  intend  to ;  consequently 
I  am  not  eligible." 

" Pooh,  pooh!  Nonsense !  That  makes  not  a  farthing's 
difference.  You  will  do  well  enough." 

"And  more  than  that,"  I  continued,  "I  am  only  nine- 
teen years  of  age ;  that  alone  is  sufficient  to  incapacitate 
me." 

"Young  man,"  said  the  magistrate,  with  all  the  solem- 
nity and  wisdom  of  a  Dogberry,  "  whether  you  are  a  Yan- 
kee or  a  Calmuck,  whether  you  are  sixty  years  old  or 
sixteen,  it  matters  not.  You  have  been  appointed  a  con- 
stable for  this  district,  and  a  constable  you  shall  be.  So 
no  more  frivolous  excuses.  If  you  do  not  prepare  your- 
self to  act  in  that  capacity  when  called  upon  I  will  cause 
you  to  be  reported  and  fined." 

There  was  no  more  to  be  said  ;  the  argument  relating  to 
the  fine  was  unanswerable;  and  I  caused  myself  to  be 
qualified  forthwith.  The  duties  were  not  arduous.  The 

29* 


312  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

only  official  duty  required  of  me,  during  my  term  of  office, 
was  to  summon  a  coroner's  jury,  on  one  occasion,  to  sit  on 
the  body  of  a  runaway  slave,  who  was  stabbed  by  a  watch- 
man while  commiting  depredations  on  some  "  negro  gar- 
dens "  in  the  night  time. 

Mr.  Coxall  finally  gave  up  his  establishment  in  Green- 
ville, and  I  was  obliged  to  look  elsewhere  for  employment. 
A  newspaper  was  published  at  St.  George,  owned  and 
edited  by  an  Englishman,  who  had  been  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer  in  the  regiment  which  was  disbanded  in  the 
island  a  few  years  before.  I  had  then,  even  at  that  early 
age,  some  indefinite  hankering  after  newspaper  life,  and 
having  picked  up  a  crude  mass  of  knowledge,  incongruous 
and  undigested,  perhaps,  from  the  many  books  I  had  de- 
voured, I  flattered  myself  that  I  could  render  good  service 
as  assistant  editor  of  the  St.  George  Chronicle. 

I  accordingly  offered  my  services  to  the  proprietor,  but 
found  him  less  liberal  in  his  opinions  than  the  worthy  sons 
of  Scotia  with  whom  I  had  been  intimately  associating. 
His  prejudices  against  the  Yankees  were  unconquerable. 
He  did  not  even  reply  to  my  letter,  but  stated  to  a  friend 
of  mine  that  he  must  be  very  hard  pushed  before  he 
would  take  a  Yankee  into  his  office  to  assist  in  printing 
and  editing  an  English  newspaper. 

I  again  turned  my  attention  to  the  planting  business. 
A  vacancy  having  occurred  on  the  Hermitage  estate,  owing 
to  the  sudden  death,  by  yellow  fever,  of  a  very  promising 
young  man  from  Aberdeen,  who  had  been  in  the  island 
only  a  few  months,  I  succeeded,  through  the  kind  exer- 
tions of  Mr.  Church,  in  obtaining  the  situation. 

The  Hermitage  was  one  of  the  finest  plantations  in 
Grenada.  It  was  pleasantly  situated  on  elevated  ground, 
a  few  miles  from  the  sea  shore,  and  was  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Houston,  a  gentleman  of  great  respectability,  who  was 
attorney  for  the  estate,  and  also  for  the  plantation  adjoin- 
ing, called  Belmont.  Some  years  previously  the  Hermitage 


WEST   INDIA    LIFE.  843 

had  been  the  residence  of  the  owner  of  these  estates,  an 
Englishman  named  Bailey.  He  had  spared  no  expense  in 
stocking  the  grounds  with  fruits  of  various  kinds,  had 
planted  bread-fruit  and  bread-nut  trees,  which,  besides 
proving  ornamental,  furnished  nutritive  food  for  the  slaves. 
Mr.  Houston  found,  however,  that  the  fruit  orchards  re- 
quired more  labor  and  care  to  keep  them  in  good  condi- 
tion than  could  be  profitably  spared  from  other  duties ; 
and  the  beautiful  and  umbrageous  bread-fruit  and  bread- 
nut  trees  shaded  some  portions  of  the  fertile  land  capable 
of  producing  good  sugar  cane.  The  axe  was,  therefore, 
freely  used,  and,  one  after  another,  nearly  all  the  trees 
which  produced  this  excellent  fruit  were  cut  down.  Other 
fruit  trees,  as  the  orange,  the  guava,  pomegranate,  avocado 
pear,  golden  apple,  water  lemon,  soursop,  &c.,  grow  spon- 
taneously on  almost  every  plantation,  and  furnish  an 
abundance  and  a  variety  of  refreshing,  nutritious  food,  at 
different  seasons.  Plantains,  peas,  cassava,  kalliloo,  yams, 
and  several  other  kinds  of  esculent  vegetables,  some  of 
which  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  the  potato  in  every 
thing  excepting  the  form,  are  raised  in  abundance  with 
very  little  labor.  The  calabash  tree  is  also  found  growing 
wild  on  every  estate.  It  resembles  an  apple  tree  of  mod- 
erate dimensions,  and  bears  calabashes  of  every  size,  from 
those  which  contain  several  gallons  to  those  which  hold 
only  half  a  pint.  These  calabashes  are  of  great  value  on 
a  plantation,  being  used  as  vessels  for  all  purposes  and  oc- 
casions except  for  cooking. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  my  debt  to  Mr.  Thomas 
was  liquidated  as  soon  as  I 'could  obtain  the  means,  even 
by  anticipating  my  salary;  and  I  eagerly  looked  forward  to 
the  time  when,  by  exercising  the  strictest  economy,  I 
should  be  able  to  quit  a  place  where,  notwithstanding 
many  things  which  were  unpleasant,  I  had  found  valuable 
friends  and  enjoyed  many  comforts,  and  had  been  treated 
by  all  with  whom  I  came  in  contact  with  confidence  an  I 


344  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

kindness.  During  my  stay,  my  feelings  were  never  hurt 
by  ungenerous  allusions  to  rny  native  country.  Whatever 
unpleasant  associations  were  produced,  from  time  to  time, 
among  the  planters  by  the  passing  events  of  the  war,  they 
were*  restrained  by  a  feeling  of  delicacy,  which  I  could 
duly  appreciate,  from  indulging  in  offensive  remarks  in  my 
hearing.  On  one  occasion  their  forbearance,  politeness, 
and  respect  for  myself  were  put  to  a  severe  test. 

The  war  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States 
deprived  the  inhabitants  of  the  British  West  India  colo- 
nies of  many  comforts  and  luxuries  which  they  enjoyed 
when  free  intercourse  was  maintained  between  the  United 
States  and  the  different  ports  in  the  English  islands. 
During  the  war,  all  the  stores  and  provisions,  lumber,  and 
other  important  materials  required  on  the  plantations, 
were  conveyed  thither  from  ports  in  Great  Britain  in  ships 
sailing  under  convoy  of  men-of-war.  The  arrival  of  these 
ships,  which  took  place  at  certain  seasons,  when  the  pro- 
duce was  ready  for  shipping,  was  anxiously  expected,  as  they 
were  freighted  not  only  with  useful  articles  for  the  estates, 
but  also  contained  generous  lots  of  hams,  porter,  cheese, 
wines,  and  other  delicacies  and  condiments,  ordered  by 
the  planters  themselves  for  their  especial  benefit  and  en- 
joyment. It  was  a  day  of  jubilee  and  rejoicing  when  a 
ship  known  to  be  freighted  with  these  "  good  things  "  and 
"creature  comforts"  arrived  safely  in  port. 

At  the  proper  season,  in  1814,  the  good  ship  Corunna,  of 
Bristol,  was  expected  at  Greenville.  This  ship  was  an  old 
trader,  and  the  captain  had  been  intrusted  with  many 
commissions,  which,  as  he  was  an  honest  and  faithful  man, 
it  was  not  doubted  he  would  execute  satisfactorily.  Most 
of  the  planters  in  that  part  of  the  island  were  looking  out 
anxiously  every  day  for  the  arrival  of  the  Corunna.  Their 
private  stores  had  been  long  exhausted,  and  they  longed 
to  have  them  replenished.  The  ship  was  an  unreasonable 
time  on  her  passage. 


WEST    INDIA    LIFE.  345 

It  was  Sunday  afternoon.  I  was  dining  with  Mr.  Ste- 
venson, the  manager  of  the  Tivoli  estate,  in  company 
with  several  planters.  The  house  was  situated  on  an  ele- 
vated spot,  and  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  sea,  extend- 
ing nearly  from  the  Grenadines  to  La  Baye,  the  port  of 
Greenville.  It  was  distant  from  the  sea  shore  not  more 
than  a  couple  of  miles.  Suddenly,  on  looking  out  of  the 
front  windows  of  the  dining  hall,  a  large  ship  was  seen 
under  full  sail,  coming  with  a  fair  wind  from  the  direction 
of  the  Grenadines  and  steering  towards  La  Baye. 

"  That  is  the  Corunna,"  shouted  one  of  the  gentlemen 
present.  "  Hurrah  ! " 

"Not  the  Corunna,"  remarked  Mr.  Stevenson.  "The 
Corunna  is  not  so  good  looking  and  is  of  a  different 
model.  The  West  India  fleet,  however,  must  have  ar- 
rived at  Barbadoes,  and  the  Corunna  will  soon  be  along." 

At  that  moment  another  ship  appeared,  carrying  a  cloud 
of  canvas,  coming  round  the  point.  This  vessel  was  not 
the  Corunna,  and  kept  close  in  with  the  land,  running  also 
for  La  Baye.  A  shade  of  disappointment  rested  on  the 
features  of  some  of  the  planters;  but  all  continued  to 
gaze  eagerly  in  the  direction  of  the  sea,  hoping  that  the 
long  expected  ship,  bearing,  not  the  Golden  Fleece  from 
Colchis,  but  treasures  from  England,  of  far  greater  value 
in  the  estimation  of  their  owners,  would  next  make  her 
appearance.  Their  expectations  were  realized.  Another 
ship  came  into  view,  with  every  sail  set  which  would 
draw  ;  royals,  skysails,  staysails,  and  studding  sails,  from 
the  truck  to  the  deck,  and  the  British  ensign  was  waving 
at  her  peak. 

"  There  comes  the  Corunna,  at  last ! "  exclaimed  Mr. 
Stevenson. 

"  The  Corunna !  the  Corunna ! "  was  the  responsive  cry. 

"  I  declare,"  said  Mr.  Mclnuis,  the  manager  of  the  Car- 
riere  estate,  "I  feel  greatly  relieved.  I  began  to  think 
the  ship  had  been  picked  up  by  some  Yankee  privateer, 


JUG  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  my  Stilton  cheese  and  '  brown  stout '  gone  in  another 
direction." 

"I  was  suspicious,  myself,  that  some  accident  of  that 
kind  had  happened,"  replied  Mr.  Stevenson;  "but  she  is 
safe  enough  now,  and  will  be  at  anchor  in  an  hour  or  so. 
Therefore  let  us  fill  our  glasses,  and  drink  the  health  of 
her  successful  commander." 

The  glasses  were  filled ;  but  before  their  contents  were 
quaffed,  the  company  were  startled  by  the  loud  report  of 
a  cannon,  which  came  booming  across  the  land.  At  this 
moment  another  vessel,  which  had  tired  the  gun,  was  seen 
coming  round  the  point,"Tollowing  closely  in  the  wake  of 
the  Corunna. 

This  vessel  was  of  a  model  widely  different  from  those 
which  first  came  along.  She  was  a  long,  low,  black, 
hermaphrodite  brig,  with  tall,  raking  masts,  and  a  row 
of  ports,  evidently  intended  for  use  rather  than  ornament. 
Every  plank  in  her  hull,  every  rope  at  her  mast-head,  and 
every  cloth  of  her  canvas  looked  as  if  they  meant  mis- 
chief. Her  national  flag,  which  bore  the  stars  and  stripes, 
was  not  necessary  to  proclaim  the  presence  of  one  of  the 
much  dreaded  American  privateers.  The  company  looked 
as  if  the  angel  of  destruction  was  hovering  over  the  island. 

"A  privateer!  an  American  privateer!"  exclaimed 
Stevenson.  "  The  Corunna  is  nabbed  after  all." 

"  Not  so ! "  said  Mr.  McCrimmon  of  Belmont.  "  Not  so ! 
The  Corunna  will  show  fight.  Her  captain  is  a  brave 
man,  and  will  not  strike  his  flag  without  good  reason. 
Look  there,  he  fires  a  broadside!  Huzza!" 

The  Corunna  now  changed  her  course,  keeping  away 
before  the  wind,  and  running  directly  for  the  land.  She 
discharged  three  or  four  guns  from  her  starboard  ports, 
which  were  replied  to  by  the  "long  Tom"  of  the  priva- 
teer. The  captain  of  the  ship,  apparently,  considered  it 
useless  to  fight,  and  made  an  attempt  to  run  the  ship 
ashore;  but  his  object  being  perceived  by  the  Yankee,  lie 


AVEST    IXDIA   LIFE.  347 

also  kept  off,  and  sailing  much  faster  than  the  Englishman, 
placed  his  brig  between  the  ship  and  the  beach,  hammer- 
ing away  in  the  mean  time  with  his  "  long  Tom."  The 
Corunna  fired  no  shot  in  return,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
hauled  down  her  flag  in  token  of  surrender. 

It  subsequently  appeared  that  the  three  ships  had  left 
England  and  came  to  Barbadoes  with  the  large  outward 
bound  West  India  fleet ;  but  being  well  armed,  and  stoutly 
manned,  had  concluded  not  to  wait  for  convoy  to  Grenada, 
and  the  risk  being  small,  agreed  to  keep  together,  stand 
by  each  other,  and  combine  their  forces  if  menaced  by  an 
enemy.  They  passed  the  Grenadines,  came  in  sight  of 
their  port,  and  were  exulting  in  having  accomplished 
the  passage  in  safety,  when  the  Yankee  privateer  brig 
Chasseur,  of  Baltimore,  Captain  Boyle,  shot  out  from  be- 
hind the  promontory  of  Sauteurs  and  gave  chase.  A  har- 
bor was  in  sight  ahead  and  the  enemy  astern.  It  is  perhaps 
not  remarkable  that  under  these  circumstances  discretion 
outweighed  valor ;  that  the  two  headmost  vessels  forgot 
the  agreement,  and,  adopting  the  memorable  order  which 
was  acted  on  by  the  "  Grand  Army  "  after  the  burning  of 
Moscow,  —  "sauve  qui  peut" — ensconced  themselves,  as 
quickly  as  possible,  in  the  snug  harbor  of  Greenville.  The 
captain  of  the  Corunna  was  a  brave  man,  as  had  been 
truly  said.  He  was  anxious  to  fight,  but  his  men,  after 
one  ineffective  broadside,  left  the  guns.  He  then  attempt- 
ed to  run  his  ship  ashore,  but  was  foiled  by  the  superior 
sailing  of  the  enemy.  The  Corunna  had  a  miscellaneous 
cargo  of  considerable  value,  and  a  successful  attempt  was 
made  to  carry  her  into  an  American  port.  She  reached 
Wilmington  in  safety,  and  the  North  Carolina  cotton 
planters  doubtless  ate  and  drank  with  a  keen  relish  the 
good  things  which  were  intended  for  the  sugar  planters 
of  Grenada. 

It  may  be  easily  imagined,  that  the  news  of  a  treaty  of 
peace  having  been  signed  at  Ghent,  was  received  with  great 


3  IS  JACK    IS    THE    FORECASTLE. 

raid  sincere  delight  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  English 
islands.  Far  from  their  native  homes,  and  in  a  great  meas- 
ure free  from  political  excitement,  they  manifested  no  great 
interest  in  the  results  of  the  war,  indulging  only  a  vague 
desire  and  expectation  that  British  arms  would  prevail. 
The  war  had  caused  them  great  inconvenience,  and  de- 
prived them  of  many  comforts ;  and  it  was  difficult  to  say 
whether  my  friends  or  myself  derived  the  most  gratifica- 
tion from  the  fact  that  peace  was  established  between 
the  two  countries. 

Time  passed  on.  I  had  nearly  cleared  myself  from 
debt,  and  had  even  fixed  the  period  when  I  should  be 
able  to  leave  Grenada  and  engage  in  other  pursuits.  My 
friends  combated  the  resolution  I  had  taken,  assuring 
me  of  success,  even  to  the  extent  of  my  wishes,  if  I  would 
remain  on  the  island.  Indeed,  I  was  more  than  half 
promised  the  management  of  a  plantation  near  Guayave, 
called  Grosse  Point,  by  Mr.  McQueen,  the  Receiver  Gen- 
eral. Fearing  I  might  be  tempted  to  remain,  by  offers 
which  I  should  be  unable  to  withstand,  I  was  anxious  to 
hasten  the  period  of  my  departure. 

About  this  time  a  bill,  providing  for  a  registry  of  the 
slaves  in  every  British  colony,  was  passed  by  the  Parliament 
of  Great  Britain,  with  a  view  to  put  a  more  effectual  barrier 
to  the  African  slave  trade.  This  bill  was  not  understood 
by  the  blacks.  They  were  aware  that  some  law  intended 
for  their  benefit,  perhaps  favoring  their  emancipation,  had 
been  enacted,  and  not  experiencing  any  advantageous  re- 
sults, after  waiting  patiently  some  weeks  they  began  to 
consult  together,  to  murmur,  and  exhibit  signs  of  discon- 
tent, which  caused  great  alarm.  On  several  estates  the 
field  laborers  in  a  body,  including  the  head  drivers  and 
other  magnates,  left  their  homes  and  went  to  St.  George, 
with  a  view  to  appeal  directly  to  the  governor  for  justice. 
They  demanded  to  be  put  in  possession  of  those  indul- 
gences and  rights  to  which  they  supposed  they  were  en- 
titled by  the  law  which  had  just  been  passed. 


WEST    INDIA   LIFE.  349 

The  planters,  recollecting  the  bloody  scenes  that  had 
been  enacted,  years  before,  at  the  beginning  of  the  insur- 
rection headed  by  Fedon,  were  greatly  alarmed.  Military 
organizations  were  formed  in  different  districts,  and  a 
regular  night  patrol,  and  a  well-devised  system  of  espi- 
onage, were  kept  up  for  several  weeks.  The  governor  of 
Grenada  and  the  Grenadines,  at  this  period,  was  Major 
General  Riall,  who  had  distinguished  himself  while  com- 
manding the  British  army  on  the  Canada  frontiers,  and 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Niagara. 
Acting  with  judgment,  firmness,  and  discretion,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  pacifying  those  bodies  of  slaves  who  sought 
him,  and  explained  the  true  character  of  the  act.  They 
slowly  returned  to  the  plantations  and  resumed  their 
labors ;  but  were  evidently  dissatisfied,  and  more  than 
half  convinced  that  even  the  governor  was  deceiving 
them. 

To  add  to  the  excitement,  a  rumor  was  spread  abroad, 
and  obtained  belief,  that  a  number  of  aliens  had  arrived 
in  the  island,  with  the  intention  of  stirring  up  another 
insurrection ;  and  a  sort  of  panic  prevailed  among  the 
whites.  The  governor  issued  a  proclamation,  declaring 
that  every  free  person  who  was  not  a  native  citizen  of 
Great  Britain,  or  who  had  not  taken  the  oath  of  allegi- 
ance, must  appear  forthwith  before  the  executive  authori- 
ties of  St.  George,  and  report  himself  and  state  his  object 
in  being  on  the  island. 

I  felt  myself  included  in  the  list  of  aliens,  and  in  spite 
of  the  remonstrances  of  friends,  who  insisted  that  the 
proclamation  did  not  apply  to  me,  I  determined  to  comply 
with  its  directions,  and  go  immediately  to  St.  George. 
Accompanied  by  a  gentleman  who  was  connected  with 
the  government,  and  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion, I  called  upon  his  excellency.  The  governor  was  a 
thick-set,  ruddy-faced  man,  with  a  decidedly  military  air, 
of  simple  habits  and  courteous  manners.  He  received  me 

30 


350  JACK    IN'    THK    FORECASTLE. 

with  great  politeness.  On  being  informed  that  I  was  an 
American,  he  waived  all  desire  for  an  explanation  in 
regard  to  the  cause  of  my  residence  in  the  island ;  and 
further  remarked,  that  should  it  at  any  time  be  in  his 
power  to  render  me  service,  it  would  give  him  pleasure 
to  do  it. 

When  peace  was  established  between  the  two  countries 
it  was  expected  the  ports  in  the  English  islands  would  be 
thrown  open  for  trade,  as  before  the  war.  In  this  expec- 
tation the  planters  were  disappointed.  In  order  to  pro- 
tect the  trade  in  the  British  American  provinces,  the 
importation  of  produce  in  American  bottoms  was  pro- 
hibited. Consequently  there  was  no  direct  communica- 
tion between  English  ports  in  the  West  Indies  and  ports 
in  the  United  States.  Our  vessels  landed  and  sold  their 
cargoes  in  St.  Thomas,  St.  Bartholomew,  or  some  other 
free  port,  where  they  were  shipped  in  English  bottoms, 
and  thence  conveyed  to  the  English  islands. 

There  being  no  opportunity  to  go  directly  to  the  United 
States  from  Grenada,  I  sought  the  means  of  proceeding  to 
some  other  port,  where  I  should  be  likely  to  fall  in  with 
an  American  vessel.  I  called  on  Mr.  Budge,  a  merchant 
of  St.  George,  with  whom  I  had  some  acquaintance,  to 
make  inquiries.  He  informed  me  he  was  on  the  point  of 
chartering  a  small  vessel  in  which  to  proceed  to  St.  Pierre 
in  Martinico,  should  sail  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks, 
and  would  cheerfully  give  me  a  passage  to  that  port. 

I  returned  to  the  interior  of  the  island  in  fine  spirits, 
and  commenced  making  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
my  departure.  In  due  time,  having  received  information 
from  Mr.  Budge  that  his  sloop  would  sail  on  a  certain 
day,  I  took  leave  of  my  numerous  friends,  bade  farewell 
to  the  plantations ;  to  the  lonely  glens  and  deep  gorges 
in  the  mountains,  which,  for  me,  had  many  charms,  and 
took  the  "Grand  Etang"  route  for  the  capital.  I  could 
not  bid  adieu  to  my  kind  Scotch  friends  without  emotion. 


WEST    INDIA    LIFE.  3D1 

Several  of  them  expressed  an  intention  to  visit  the  United 
States  before  the  lapse  of  many  years,  perhaps  to  settle 
there  for  life,  and  promised  to  look  me  up.  But  I  have 
never  seen  them  since.  With  the  sight  of  a  Scotchman, 
however,  is  associated  many  pleasing  recollections ;  and  a 
Scotch  accent  has  ever  sounded  grateful  in  my  ear  since  I 
left  the  shores  of  Grenada. 

During  my  residence  in  Grenada  my  duties  were  neither 
arduous  nor  difficult.  Had  I  complied  with  the  advice  of 
friends  and  remained,  I  might  have  succeeded  as  a  planter, 
and  led  for  a  number  of  years  a  lazy,  monotonous,  vege- 
tative kind  of  life.  Nevertheless,  my  stay  was  not  un- 
productive of  advantages.  I  found  much  to  interest  and 
occupy  an  inquiring  mind ;  and  my  situation  gave  me  an 
opportunity  to  gratify  a  thirst  for  information,  to  gain  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  tropical  life,  usages,  and  produc- 
tions which  has  often  since  proved  of  signal  service.  I 
was  brought  into  communication  with  people  of  different 
nations,  different  characters,  and  different  modes  of  think- 
ing ;  of  different  politics,  philosophy,  and  religion  ;  all  of 
which  has  a  tendency  to  eradicate  or  weaken  early  preju- 
dices, liberalize  opinions,  and  inculcate  charitable  views  of 
human  nature.  While  such  a  relation  with  people  of 
other  countries  can  never  diminish  the  feeling  of  patriot- 
ism in  a  well-balanced  mind,  it  will  lead  a  person  to  dis- 
cover, acknowledge,  and  respect,  in  other  communities  and 
other  nations,  much  that  is  good  and  worthy  of  com- 
mendation. 

After  paying  my  debts  and  supplying  a  few  pressing 
wants  I  found  remaining  in  my  pocket  fifty  Spanish 
dollars.  I  had  emerged  from  a  state  of  poverty  and  de- 
pendence. I  was  rich,  having  the  means,  without  much 
doubt,  of  procuring  a  passage  from  Martinico  to  some  port 
in  the  United  States. 


352  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

SORROWFUL      SCENES. 

IT  was  about  the  middle  of  September,  in  the  year  1816, 
that  I  embarked  with  Mr.  Budge  in  a  little  sloop  bound  to 
St.  Lucia  and  Martinico,  after  having  resided  in  Grenada 
nearly  four  years.  We  had  a  few  other  passengers,  one 
of  whom  was  a  French  gentleman  named  Chambord,  Avho 
had  fought  a  duel  with  an  Englishman  in  St.  Lucia  a  few 
months  before.  This  duel  grew  out  of  a  fierce  dispute  in 
relation  to  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  the  comparative 
merit,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  of  Napoleon  and  Wel- 
lington. The  Frenchman,  being  an  adroit  swordsman,  got 
the  best  of  the  argument  by  running  his  antagonist 
through  the  body,  and  leaving  him  senseless,  and  appar- 
ently lifeless,  on  the  field.  He  made  his  escape  to  Gre- 
nada. Having  learned  that  the  champion  of  Wellington 
was  in  a  fair  way  to  recover  from  his  wound,  he  was  now 
on  his  return  to  his  home. 

We  tarried  but  a  short  time  at  St.  Lucia,  merely  lying 
off  and  on  at  the  mouth  of  the  port  of  Castries,  or  Care- 
nage,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  safe  harbors 
in  that  part  of  the  world ;  the  entrance  being  so  narrow 
that  two  ships  cannot  pass  through  it  abreast ;  but  inside, 
the  extent  of  the  harbor  and  depth  of  water  are  sufficient 
to  furnish  good  anchorage  and  shelter  from  hurricanes  for 
a  large  fleet  of  ships  of  the  largest  class. 

On  arriving  at  St.  Pierre  I  found  a  fearful  hurricane 
had  raged  in  that  quarter  only  a  week  or  ten  days  before. 
The  wind,  blowing  from  the  eastward  directly  into  the 
open  roadstead  with  irresistible  fury,  had  driven  every 
vessel  in  port  ashore  on  the  beach.  The  ship  Cato,  of 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  having  all  her  cargo  dis- 


SORROWFUL    SCENES.  353 

charged,  and  presenting  a  large  surface  of  hull  to  the  wind 
and  the  waves,  was  found,  after  the  tempest  had  subsided, 
high  and  dry  in  one  of  the  streets,  in  a  condition  which 
precluded  the  possibility  of  getting  her  into  the  water, 
and  was  broken  up.  Others  were  launched  on  "ways" 
constructed  for  the  purpose;  while  some  sustained  but 
little  injury,  and  were  easily  got  afloat.  One  English  brig, 
built  of  the  red  cedar  of  Bermuda,  a  material  greatly  in 
favor  at  that  time  on  account  of  its  remarkable  resistance 
to  decay,  was  crushed  like  an  egg-shell  the  moment  it 
struck  the  shore,  and  the  fragments  were  strown  along  the 
beach. 

At  the  time  I  arrived  at  St.  Pierre  the  yellow  fever  was 
prevailing  to  an  alarming  extent  among  the  inhabitants. 
The  same  epidemic  prevailed  in  Point  Petre,  Guadaloupe, 
and  the  numerous  immigrants  from  France,  in  some  cases 
whole  families,  who  sought  those  shores  with  the  hope  of 
improving  their  condition,  were  cut  off  by  this  terrible 
disease  soon  after  their  arrival.  Some  cases  of  yellow 
fever  appeared  among  the  shipping  in  St.  Pierre,  and 
nearly  every  one  proved  fatal,  showing  the  malignant  type 
of  the  disease.  Great  alarm  was  manifested  lest  the  epi- 
demic should  spread  among  the  vessels,  and  sweep  off 
whole  crews,  and  I  subsequently  learned  that  these  appre- 
hensions were  realized. 

I  engaged  lodgings  on  shore,  and  was  there  an  eye  wit- 
ness to  the  ravages  of  this  plague  of  the  West  Indies. 
Young  and  healthy  men,  full  of  hope  and  gayety,  with 
rich  prospects  in  the  future,  were  visited  by  this  grim  mes- 
senger soon  after  they  set  their  feet  on  those  shores;  and 
few,  very  few,  recovered.  Death  was  doing  a  mighty 
business  at  Martinico  at  that  time ;  and  during  my  brief 
stay  I  listened  to  many  a  thrilling  tale  of  hopes  blighted, 
ties  of  affection  sundered,  and  sorrows  awakened  by  the 
remorseless  action  of  the  "  King  of  Terrors."  The  strong 
man  was  cut  down  while  boasting  of  his  strength ;  and 

30* 


354  JACK    ENT    THE    FORECASTLE. 

youth,  beauty,  or  worth  furnished  no  protection  from  the 
attack  of  this  West  India  pestilence. 

After  my  long  residence  in  Grenada  I  had  no  fear  of 
yellow  fever  in  Martinico ;  and  in  several  cases  at  my 
boarding  house  I  was  able  to  render  valuable  assistance. 
I  was  now  anxious  to  get  temporary  employment  of  some 
kind,  or  procure  a  passage  to  the  United  States.  I  was 
every  day  getting  nearer  the  bottom  of  my  purse ;  and 
I  trembled  at  the  idea  of  finding  myself  penniless  in  the 
town  of  St.  Pierre.  I  could  hardly  hope  to  meet  with  the 
sympathy  and  kindness  from  the  Frenchmen  of  Martinico 
that  I  found  in  Grenada  among  the  natives  of  Scotland. 

Owing  to  the  shipwrecks,  caused  by  the  hurricane,  there 
was  no  want  of  seamen ;  and  I  could  not  even  get  an 
opportunity  to  work  my  passage  to  an  American  port 
before  the  mast.  I  had  been  so  long  in  the  West  Indies 
that  I  had  lost  the  distinguishing  marks  of  a  Yankee. 
And  my  broad  accent,  my  swarthy  complexion,  my  un- 
seamanlike  costume,  adapted  to  the  climate,  all  seemed  to 
contradict  my  statement  that  I  was  an  American  sailor. 

At  Martinico  I  fell  in  with  an  Englishman,  Captain 
William  Parker,  who  had  resided  in  the  islands  for 
many  years,  and  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
trade  in  that  part  of  the  globe.  He  was  then  making 
preparations  to  engage  in  a  sort  of  wholesale  smuggling 
business,  and  had  obtained  possession,  by  hook  or  by  crook, 
of  two  registers  of  American  vessels.  One  was  a  bona 
fide  register  of  a  privateer  which  had  been  captured  during 
the  war,  and  the  other  a  forgery,  neatly  executed  by  an 
artist  in  Martinico,  having  the  signatures  and  seals  duly 
arranged  and  perfected,  but  leaving  blank  the  description 
of  the  vessel. 

With  these  registers,  —  valuable  documents,  in  his  esti- 
mation, having  cost  him  no  trifling  sum,  —  it  was  his 
wish  to  proceed  to  New  York,  and  with  the  aid  of  some 
unscrupulous  capitalist,  purchase  an  English  schooner, 


SORBOWFUL    SCENES.  355 

answering  nearly  to  the  description  in  the  register  of  the 
privateer ;  or,  failing  in  that,  procure  an  English  vessel  of 
any  kind  suitable,  and  fill  up  the  blanks  with  a  description 
of  the  same  in  the  other  American  register.  Then  with 
two  captains,  one  English  and  one  American,  each  acting  as 
mate  alternately,  and  with  a  crew  who  could  be  confided  in, 
he  proposed  to  carry  on  a  direct  trade  with  the  English 
islands,  securing  all  the  advantages,  in  the  way  of  port 
charges  and  duties,  of  an  American  vessel  in  an  American 
port  and  an  English  vessel  in  an  English  port !  A  few 
voyages  successfully  performed  on  this  plan,  he  plausibly 
urged,  would  be  productive  of  immense  profit  to  all 
concerned. 

Parker  was  desirous  that  I  would  embark  with  him  in 
this  enterprise,  and  act  as  the  nominal  American  com- 
mander. But  I  had  an  instinctive  repugnance  to  pro- 
ceedings of  such  an  underhand,  unlawful  character.  This 
of  itself  would  have  been  enough  to  lead  me  to  reject  his 
proposition ;  and  furthermore  I  had  no  confidence  in  the 
man,  or  his  ability  to  carry  his  project  into  operation.  I 
thanked  Parker  for  his  friendly  offer,  and  the  compliment 
it  conveyed,  but  declined  to  enter  into  any  engagement  of 
the  kind.  Whether  he  succeeded  in  carrying  his  project 
into  effect  I  never  learned ;  but  the  same  plan  was  suc- 
cessfully put  into  execution  by  an  enterprising  rogue  about 
the  same  time,  who  undertook  to  run  a  vessel  between 
Baltimore  and  Barbadoes,  carrying  out  flour  and  bringing 
back  coffee  and  sugar.  He  performed  two  trips  success- 
fully, but  on  the  third  got  into  trouble.  One  of  the  crew, 
who  had  been  unadvisedly  punished  for  insubordination, 
gave  information  to  the  authorities  in  Barbadoes,  which 
put  a  period,  for  a  time  at  least,  to  his  enterprising 
pursuits. 

A  few  days  before  I  landed  in  St.  Pierre  the  brig  Bet- 
sey, Captain  Blackler,  arrived  in  the  harbor  from  Mar- 
seilles. A  large  portion  of  her  cargo  was  discharged,  and 


«')06  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Captain  Blackler  concluded  to  send  the  brig  with  the 
remaining  portion,  consisting  of  wine  in  casks,  to  New 
Orleans,  while  he  remained  behind  to  transact  important 
business  for  the  owner  of  the  brig,  William  Gray,  of 
Salem.  Accordingly  the  mate,  Mr.  Adams,  an  intelligent 
and  highly  deserving  young  man,  belonging  to  Marblehead, 
was  placed  in  charge,  and  the  mate  of  the  unfortunate 
ship  Cato.  which  forsook  her  proper  element  to  explore 
the  streets  of  St.  Pierre,  and  could  not  get  back,  was  en- 
gaged as  mate  of  the  Betsey. 

I  applied  to  Captain  Blackler  for  a  passage  to  New 
Orleans.  The  brig  was  fully  manned,  with  six  stout,  able- 
bodied  seamen  before  the  mast,  and  cook,  mate,  and  cap- 
tain, nine  in  all.  Captain  Blackler  demanded  forty  dollars 
for  a  passage  in  the  cabin  ;  by  no  means  an  exorbitant 
charge.  Nevertheless  this  was  a  poser,  as  after  paying  for 
my  board  I  had  only  twenty  dollars  remaining.  This 
matter,  however,  was  satisfactorily  settled  by  a  compro- 
mise,— a  happy  way  of  getting  rid  of  a  difficulty.  I  pro- 
posed to  advance  twenty  dollars  before  quitting  Martinico, 
and  give  an  obligation  for  twenty  more  when  the  brig 
should  arrive  at  New  Orleans ;  and  he  agreed  to  the  prop- 
osition. But  how  I  should  raise  twenty  dollars  on  reach- 
ing New  Orleans,  was  a  question  I  could  not  answer,  and 
did  not  like  to  consider.  I  strove  hard  to  convince  myself 
I  should  never  be  called  upon  for  payment,  or  if  called 
upon,  that  fortune  would  favor  me  by  furnishing,  in  some 
way,  the  means. 

Captain  Blackler  was  a  gentleman  much  respected  and 
esteemed.  He  was  a  good  specimen  of  an  American  ship- 
master. When  we  got  under  way  he  came  on  board, 
apparently  in  good  health  and  spirits,  to  bid  us  farewell. 
I  shook  hands  with  him  as  he  stepped  over  the  side.  He 
gave  some  final  instructions  to  Mr.  Adams,  who  had 
assumed  the  command  of  the  Betsey.  They  mutually 
wished  each  other  continued  health  and  prosperity,  ox- 


SORROWFUL    SCENES.  357 

pressed  a  hope  to  meet  before  long  in  Marblehead,  and 
parted  —  never  to  meet  again  !  Before  another  week  had 
passed  they  were  both  summoned  before  their  God.  It 
was  afterwards  ascertained  that  Captain  Bladder  was 
attacked  by  yellow  fever  a  few  days  after  the  brig  left 
Martinico,  and  was  quickly  added  to  the  numerous  band 
of  victims  to  that  disease. 

The  brig  Betsey  was  about  two  hundred  and  twenty 
tons  burden  ;  a  clump,  dull-sailing  craft,  of  rather  venerable 
appearance,  with  no  pretensions  to  youth  or  beauty,  having 
braved  the  dangers  of  the  seas  for  thirty  years ;  neverthe- 
less she  was  now  apparently  as  sound,  safe,  and  tight  as 
any  vessel  that  crossed  the  ocean.  Captain  Adams  was  a 
worthy  man,  of  an  amiable  character,  wrho  had  been  ed- 
ucated to  his  business;  and  the  mate,  Mr.  Ricker,  had 
been  commander  of  a  ship,  and  was  strongly  recommended 
as  an  able  and  faithful  officer.  The  crew  were  Americans, 
resolute-looking,  powerful  fellows,  in  robust  health.  There 
had  been  no  sickness  on  board  during  the  voyage ;  and  all 
of  them,  including  the  captain  and  mate,  were  rejoiced  to 
leave  the  island  of  Martinico.  As  the  mountains  faded  in 
the  distance  they  fancied  they  had  left  the  yellow  fever 
far  behind,  and  congratulated  each  other  on  their  good 
fortune. 

Our  route,  as  will  be  seen  by  examining  a  chart  or  a  map, 
was  a  remarkably  interesting  one.  It  extended  through 
the  Caribbean  Sea,  where  the  trade  winds  blow  unceasingly 
from  the  eastward,  in  a  direction  south  of  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  picturesque  islands  in  the  world,  as 
Porto  Rico,  St.  Domingo,  and  Cuba,  and  ranged  along  in 
sight  of  Jamaica  and  the  Caymans,  then  rounded  Cape 
Antonio,  once  the  notorious  haunt  of  pirates,  and  entered 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Leaving  the  harbor  of  St.  Pierre 
under  such  auspices,  I  anticipated  a  delightful  trip ;  and 
being  a  passenger,  with  no  duties  to  perform,  and  no 
responsibility  resting  on  my  shoulders,  I  was  prepared  to 
enjoy  the  poetry  of  a  seafaring  life. 


358  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

The  night  following  our  departure  there  was  a  gentle 
breeze  from  the  eastward,  the  sea  was  smooth,  and  every 
thing  in  the  atmosphere,  on  the  ocean,  or  in  the  vessel 
gave  promise  of  a  pleasant  passage.  I  remained  on  deck 
that  night  until  twelve  o'clock,  in  conversation  with  Cap- 
tain Adams.  He  seemed  in  a  particularly  pleasant  and 
communicative  mood ;  spoke  of  his  past  life,  which  had 
been  but  little  clouded  with  misfortune,  and  indulged  in 
the  most  cheerful  anticipations  with  regard  to  the  future. 

The  next  day  I  learned  that  one  of  the  seamen,  named 
James  Smith,  belonging  to  Wiscasset,  in  Maine,  was  unable, 
from  illness,  to  do  his  duty.  I  found  that  Smith  was  not 
a  favorite  with  the  crew,  being  a  lazy  fellow,  who  would 
act  the  part  of  an  "old  soldier"  when  an  opportunity 
offered.  As  he  did  not  seem  very  sick,  and  some  thought 
he  was  feigning  illness  to  avoid  work,  no  alarm  was  excited 
in  consequence. 

There  was  a  man  on  board  the  Betsey  whose  name  was 
Gaskell ;  a  tall,  stalwart  fellow,  belonging  to  Greenbush, 
New  York.  He  showed  in  his  words  and  actions  that  he 
was  unprincipled;  a  thorough  reprobate,  whose  soul  had 
been  case-hardened  in  crime.  This  man  ridiculed  the  ill- 
ness of  Smith ;  tried  to  rouse  him  from  his  berth  in  the 
half-deck;  declared  that  he  was  "shamming  Abraham," 
and  threatened  him  with  a  rope's  end  unless  he  gave  over 
skulking.  Gaskell  spoke  of  the  mortality  among  the 
Frenchmen  in  Martinico,  and  this  furnished  him  with  an 
inexhaustible  source  of  amusement.  Indeed,  human  suf- 
fering, lingering  death  by  shipwreck  or  disease,  always 
moved  him  to  mirth  and  laughter.  And  yet  he  was  not 
deficient  in  intellect  and  education ;  but  had  used  them 
for  evil  purposes.  He  was  coarse,  sensual,  intemperate, 
and  terribly  profane.  He  boldly  avowed  a  disbelief  in  a 
God,  and  sneered  at  the  idea  of  punishment  for  crime  in 
the  future.  He  loved  to  talk  of  the  yellow  fever;  he  sot 
that  fearful  disease  at  defiance,  and  said  he  never  enjoyed 


SORROWFUL    SCENES.  359 

himself  so  gloriously  ap  he  had  done  the  year  previously  at 
Savannah,  when  the  yellow  fever  was  sweeping  off  the 
crews  of  the  shipping  in  that  port  by  hundreds,  and  he 
found  employment  as  a  carpenter,  and  cleared  ten  dollars 
a  day  by  making  coffins  for  the  "  Yankee  "  sailors.  I  felt 
from  the  outset  that  this  Gaskell  was  a  bad  man,  and  a 
further  knowledge  of  him  confirmed  my  impression  and 
increased  my  disgust. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  I  visited  the  half-deck,  at  the 
request  of  Captain  Adams,  to  examine  the  condition  of 
Smith.  I  found  him  in  a  feverish  state,  languid,  his  spirits 
much  depressed,  and  with  a  slight  headache.  At  the 
time  I  had  no  suspicion  that  he  was  visited  with  yellow 
fever,  the  disease  appeared  in  so  mild  a  form.  Some  med- 
icine was  given  him,  and  it  was  expected  that  in  a  day  or 
two  he  would  recover  his  health. 

The  next  morning,  being  the  third  day  after  leaving 
Martinico,  I  was  awakened  soon  after  daybreak  by  a  suc- 
cession of  groans  which  came  from  the  captain's  state 
room.  I  entered  the  room,  and  was  greatly  alarmed  at 
finding  Captain  Adams  laboring  under  a  severe  attack  of 
illness.  He  was  seized  with  pains  in  the  head  and  back, 
accompanied  with  scorching  fever.  His  pulsations  were 
strong,  quick,  and  irregular.  He  said  he  must  have  caught 
a  violent  cold  the  night  before,  by  remaining  on  deck 
without  his  coat  or  hat.  I  did  not  contradict  him ;  but  I 
had  seen  persons  in  a  similar  condition,  and  I  knew  he  was 
suffering  from  yellow  fever  in  its  most  alarming  form. 

All  the  medical  skill  I  possessed  was  put  in  requisi- 
tion ;  but  the  captain  grew  worse,  and  before  night  he  was 
aware  of  the  true  character  of  the  disease,  and  seemed  to 
feel  there  was  no  chance  for  his  recovery.  I  strove  to 
minister  consolation  and  inspire  him  with  hope,  but  in 
vain.  He  acknowledged  that  life  had  charms  of  the  most 
attractive  description;  fortune  had  favored  him  beyond 
his  expections;  he  had  relations  and  friends  whom  he 


360  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

clearly  loved  ;  and  there  was  one  bright  being  in  his  native 
town  to  whom  he  had  plighted  his  vows  of  affection,  and 
to  whom  he  hoped  to  have  been  united  for  life  if  Provi- 
dence had  willed  his  return.  But  he  was  resigned  to  the 
will  of  the  Almighty.  He  did  not  even  murmur  at  the 
fate  which  he  knew  awaited  him.  He  prayed  to  his  God 
to  pardon  the  sins  he  had  committed,  and  looked  forward 
with  hope  to  a  glorious  immortality. 

The  bi-eeze  had  been  light  and  the  sea  remarkably 
smooth  since  we  left  St.  Pierre ;  and  the  brig,  steering  to 
the  north-west,  had  made  slow  progress.  On  the  morning 
after  the  captain  was  taken  sick  we  expected  to  be  in 
sight  of  Porto  Rico ;  and  Captain  Adams  asked  Mr.  Ricker, 
the  mate,  if  any  land  was  in  sight.  The  mate  thoughtless- 
ly replied,  "The  'Dead  Man's  Chest'  can  just  be  seen  oif 
deck."  This  was  the  English  name  of  a  small  island,  or 
cluster  of  rocks,  some  five  or  six  miles  south  of  Porto 
Rico,  resembling  in  appearance  a  coffin,  and  called,  in  Span- 
ish, "  Moxa  del  Muerta," 

Captain  Adams  remarked,  in  a  soliloquizing  strain,  "The 
Dead  Man's  Chest  ?  already  in  sight  ?  Well,  it  will  soon  be 
wanted;  I  am  ready." 

The  sufferings  of  this  excellent  man  were  intense.  The 
pains  in  his  head  and  back  kept  increasing ;  yet  his  mind 
was  tranquil,  and  he  retained  command  of  his  mental  fac- 
ulties until  the  last  moment  of  his  life.  During  his  illness 
he  expressed  kindness  for  others,  and  made  suggestions  to 
the  mate  about  sailing  the  brig  and  carrying  on  the  work. 
As  he  grew  weaker,  he  gave  explicit  directions  to  Mr. 
Ricker  in  regard  to  the  duties  which  would  devolve  upon 
him  at  his  death,  and  intrusted  me  with  a  solemn  message  to 
his  dearest  friends,  which  I  afterwards  faithfully  delivered. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  fever  commenced  the  black 
vomit  set  in.  This  is  generally  regarded  as  a  fatal  symp- 
tom, being  almost  always  the  precursor  of  death.  But 
the  fortitude  of  the  captain  never  for  a  moment  forsook 


SOKUOW1-VI.    St'KNKS.  361 

liiin.  He  was  sustained  in  that  dread  hour  by  a  guiltless 
conscience  and  a  steadfast,  deep-rooted,  religious  principle. 

A  few  hours  after  this  alarming  prognostic  made  its 
appearance,  he  died,  while  I  was  bathing  his  forehead  ; 
and  a  prayer  hung  upon  his  lips,  even  as  the  spirit  left  the 
earthly  tabernacle.  He  died  as  became  a  Christian ;  and  his 
features  in  death  were  tranquil  as  those  of  a  sleeping  infant. 

His  body  was  soon  afterwards  brought  on  deck,  where 
the  whole  ship's  company  were  assembled.  The  funeral 
rites  were  simple,  but  solemn  and  impressive;  and  far 
away  from  the  friends  of  his  youth,  with  no  heart-stricken 
relatives  to  gather  around  the  coffin,  and  form  a  mournful 
procession  to  the  grave,  and  hallow  the  burial  spot  with 
the  tears  of  affection,  the  mortal  remains  of  our  worthy 
commander  were  launched  into  the  deep.  They  were 
committed,  not  to  the  silent  tomb,  but  to  that  vast  burial 
place,  that  "  God's  Acre "  of  almost  illimitable  extent, 
where  deep  caves,  and  recesses  invisible  to  mortal  eye, 
have  served  for  ages  as  the  last  resting-place  of  myriads 
of  human  beings,  cut  off  untimely,  without  warning  note 
of  preparation,  from  the  hopes  and  disappointments,  the 
joys  and  sorrows,  of  this  world;  where,  without  headstone 
or  monument,  inscription  or  epitaph,  to  mark  the  place, 
with  only  the  rushing  winds  to  mourn  their  departure,  and 
the  murmuring  waves  to  chant  their  requiem, 

"  After  life's  fitful  fever,  they  sleep  well." 

It  is  remarkable  that  in  no  part  of  the  world,  in  any  age, 
has  the  sea  been  selected  as  a  burial  place  for  the  dead. 
Indeed,  the  idea  of  being  drowned  at  sea,  or  dying  on  ship- 
board to  be  intombed  in  the  fathomless  ocean,  is  so  abhor- 
rent to  many  individuals  that  it  is  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling they  trust  themselves  on  the  water.  It  was  a  belief 
of  the  ancients,  that  to  insure  happiness  hereafter,  the 
dead  body  of  a  human  being  must  be  covered  with  earth  ; 
otherwise  the  departed  spirit  would  never  enter  the  Ely- 

31 


362  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

sian  Fields,  but  wander  restless  on  the  nether  banks  of  Styx, 
in  full  view  of  delights  and  joys  which  it  could  never  expect 
to  realize. 

Mr.  Ricker,  the  mate,  now  took  command  of  the  brig. 
This  man  possessed  a  warm  and  affectionate  heart,  and 
was  deeply  moved  by  the  death  of  the  captain.  He  wept 
aloud  when  the  interment  took  place,  and  sought  to  alle- 
viate his  grief  by  copious  draughts  of  spirituous  liquors. 
He  wept  and  drank  himself  to  sleep  while  reclining  on  a 
hen-coop.  In  a  few  hours  he  awoke,  and  wept  again ; 
then  told  the  cook  to  bring  the  brandy  bottle,  which  soon 
acted  as  an  opiate,  and  banished  his  sorrows.  He  pursued 
this  course,  crying  and  drinking,  for  more  than  a  week; 
and,  during  the  greater  part  of  this  time,  while  I  was  wit- 
nessing scenes  of  sadness  and  death  enough  to  chill  the 
stoutest  heart,  he  incapacitated  himself,  by  intoxication, 
from  performing  his  duties  as  commander  of  the  ill-fated 
vessel. 

Smith  was  still  lingering  under  the  attack  of  a  disease 
which  we  now  knew  to  be  yellow  fever.  He  was  gradu- 
ally growing  worse.  Others  of  the  crew  were  also  visited 
by  this  dreadful  pestilence,  and  the  deck  of  the  brig  resem- 
bled one  of  the  fever  wards  of  a  hospital.  The  groans  of 
the  poor  fellows  were  enough,  one  would  think,  to  create 
sympathy  in  the  coldest  bosom.  But  they  had  no  effect 
upon  Gaskell,  excepting  to  excite  derision ;  and  when  he 
spoke  to  his  sick  or  dying  shipmates  with  a  ribald  jest  on 
his  lips,  and  a  scornful  grin  on  his  features,  I  longed  to  fell 
him  to  the  deck.  I  rebuked  him  for  his  want  of  feeling, 
and  suggested  that,  proud  as  he  was  of  his  strength  and 
immunity  from  sickness,  he  might,  notwithstanding,  become 
an  object  of  sympathy  to  his  shipmates,  and  need  their 
assistance.  The  answer  I  received  was  a  boisterous  laugh, 
as  if  the  idea  was  too  absurd  to  be  entertained. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  these  events  occurred,  but 
even  now  I  cannot  recur  to  them  without  a  feeling  of  sad- 


SORROWFUL    SCEXES.  363 

ness.  And  no  one,  not  familiar  with  such  scenes,  can  form 
an  idea  of  the  distress  which  a  mortal  sickness  produces 
on  board  a  ship  at  sea.  The  captain  had  died,  and  the 
mate,  who  should  have  taken  his  place,  was  constantly  in  a 
state  of  beastly  intoxication.  Three  of  the  crew  were 
struggling  with  yellow  fever,  and,  to  add  to  our  troubles, 
Gaskell  made  his  way  into  the  hold,  and  broached  a  cask 
of  wine  ;  and  those  who  were  not  sick  followed  the  example 
of  the  mate,  and  got  drunk,  and  drowned  in  vociferous 
shouts  and  songs  the  groans  of  their  suffering  shipmates. 
Under  these  circumstances,  I  had  no  alternative  but  to 
take  on  myself  the  responsibility  of  navigating  and  sailing 
the  vessel.  And  while  proceeding  along  the  fruitful  shores 
of  St.  Domingo,  and  the  picturesque  coast  of  Jamaica,  I 
passed  whole  nights  on  deck,  engaged  in  tending  the  sick, 
trimming  the  sails,  and  steering  the  brig.  It  was  truly  for- 
tunate that  the  wind  continued  light  and  the  weather 
pleasant. 

Smith,  who  was  the  first  man  taken  sick,  did  not  recov- 
er. His  illness  gradually  increased ;  for  several  days  his 
mind  wandered,  but  he  was  not  troublesome,  and  died  on 
the  tenth  day  after  we  left  St.  Pierre.  On  the  day  of  the 
captain's  death,  a  young  man,  belonging  to  Connecticut, 
was  seized  with  fever,  and  died  five  days  afterwards  in  a 
state  of  delirium.  His  case  required  constant  care  and 
attention,  as  he  made  more  than  one  attempt  to  throw 
himself  overboard,  in  order,  as  he  believed,  to  embrace  his 
parents  and  friends  in  his  own  native  village.  Two  others 
were  taken  alarmingly  ill,  but  after  suffering  severely  for 
several  days  gradually  recovered.  The  cook,  a  stout  black 
fellow,  inured  to  warm  climates,  rendered  me  great  assist- 
ance in  taking  care  of  the  sick.  But  on  the  morning  on 
which  we  beheld  the  mountains  of  Jamaica  he  also  was 
visited  by  yellow  fever.  The  symptoms  were  alarming, 
and  there  seemed  no  prospect  of  his  recovery;  but  on  the 
third  day  of  his  sickness,  and  after  t/ie  black  vomit  had 


3(54  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

commenced,  and  while  I  sat  watching  by  his  berth,  expect- 
ing that  in  a  few  minutes  he  would  breathe  his  last,  he 
seemed  to  revive,  and  I  put  some  rice-water  to  his  lips. 
He  swallowed  a  small  quantity;  the  terrible  forerunner  of 
a  speedy  dissolution  disappeared;  and  from  that  moment 
his  strength  gradually  increased,  the  fever  left  him,  and 
before  we  reached  New  Orleans  he  had  recovered. 

While  the  cook  was  still  dangerously  ill,'  one  morning 
early,  as  we  were  slowly  sailing  along  towards  the  Grand 
Cayman,  Gaskell  came  crawling  up  the  steps  leading  to  the 
half-deck,  and  tottered  along  towards  me.  I  was  appalled  at 
the  change  which  a  single  night  had  made  in  his  appearance. 
The  defiant,  rollicking  ruffian  no  longer  stood  before  me; 
the  sneer  was  no  longer  on  his  countenance,  his  eyes  no 
longer  sparkled  with  mischief,  and  his  language  was  not 
interlarded  with  disgusting  profanity.  His  eyes  were 
glassy,  his  cheeks  ghastly  pale,  and  a  cold  sweat,  produced 
by  fear,  stood  on  his  forehead.  The  workings  of  suffering 
and  terror  were  imprinted  on  his  features,  and  he  looked  as  if 
twenty  years  had  been  added  to  his  life  in  one  short  night. 

And  he  had  cause  for  alarm  ;  the  yellow  fever  had  fas- 
tened upon  him  with  a  vice-like  grasp,  and  he  felt  it  in  his 
inmost  soul.  The  man  was  a  cowai'd,  after  all.  He  thought 
himself  secure  from  the  scourge,  and  put  on  a  mask  of  de- 
fiance. He  now  knew  that  he  had  deceived  himself,  and  all 
his  daring  vanished.  He  was  afraid  of  death ;  and  the 
dreadful  conviction  was  forced  upon  him  that  his  dying 
hour  was  at  hand. 

In  tremulous  accents,  Gaskell  described  the  symptoms  of 
the  disease.  The  shooting  pains  in  his  head,  neck,  and 
shoulders  were  insufferable,  and  he  entreated  me  to  do 
something,  any  thing,  to  relieve  the  pain,  and  restore  him 
to  health.  He  urged  me  to  bleed  him,  which  I  undertook, 
and  opened  a  vein  in  each  arm,  but  the  blood  would  not 
flow ;  the  vital  current  seemed  to  be  congealed  by  fear. 
He  then  begged  me  to  bathe  his  back  with  camphor  and 


SORROWFUL    SCENES.  365 

opodeldoc,  and  although  I  knew  the  operation  would  pro- 
duce no  effect,  I  consented  to  his  wishes,  and  for  more  than 
an  hour  rubbed  his  back  as  he  desired,  and  bathed  his  head 
with  vinegar  and  lime-juice. 

But  the  disease  could  not  be  removed.  It  seized  upon 
his  vitals,  and  he  rapidly  grew  worse.  His  pains  were 
great,  but  his  mental  agonies  were  greater.  For  worlds  I 
would  not  suffer  what  that  man  suffered  while  rushing  into 
the  fearful  embraces  of  death.  His  mind  was  clear  and 
unclouded,  while  madness  would  have  been  mercy.  His 
life  had  been  loose  and  depraved.  He  had  been  guilty  of 
many  crimes,  and  in  the  day  of  death  the  stings  of  con- 
science pierced  him  to  the  soul.  His  evil  deeds  came 
back  to  him  in  that  hour;  they  were  stamped  on  his 
heart  as  with  a  red-hot  iron.  I  tried  to  console  him,  but 
in  vain.  He  would  not  listen  when  I  spoke  of  death, 
and  fiercely  motioned  me  away  when  I  attempted  to  read 
aloud  a  chapter  from  the  Bible.  He  said  but  little ;  but 
what  he  did  say  were  words  of  bitterness  and  despair. 
He  declared,  with  an  awful  oath,  that  he  would  not  die, 
and  struggled  fiercely  for  life  to  the  last.  I  never  shall 
forget  the  wild  and  ghastly  countenance  and  distorted 
features  of  that  dying  man,  who,  only  a  few  days  before, 
while  in  the  full  flush  of  health,  declared,  with  a  diabol- 
ical grin,  that  he  feared  neither  God  nor  man. 

The  fever  had  now  run  its  race,  but  our  ship's  com- 
pany was  greatly  reduced  in  number  and  in  strength. 
The  captain  and  three  of  the  seamen  had  been  committed 
to  the  waves,  and  others  had  not  fully  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  the  fever.  Mr.  Ricker  was  the  only  person  on 
board,  with  the  exception  of  myself,  who  had  entirely 
escaped.  Whether  drunkenness  acted,  in  his  case,  as  a 
preventive,  I  will  not  undertake  to  say ;  neither  will  I 
advise  any  one  to  try  the  hazardous  experiment. 

We  were  now  in  sight  of  the  Isle  of  Pines,  fourteen 
days  having  elapsed  since  we  sailed  from  Martinico,  when 

31* 


300  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

I  observed  indications  of  one  of  those  severe  gales  not 
unusual  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  vicinity,  and  known 
as  "northers."  Light-handed  as  we  were,  and  without 
an  efficient  head,  I  was  aware  that  our  situation  was  a 
critical  one.  I  then  felt  justified  in  doing  what  I  should 
have  done  sooner;  I  threw  overboard  every  drop  of  spirit 
I  could  find,  and  then  applied  myself  to  rouse  Mr.  Ricker 
from  his  drunken  inactivity.  I  explained  to  him  my 
apprehensions  of  a  gale  of  wind,  and  the  necessity  for 
making  preparation  for  the  coming  tempest.  This  brought 
him  to  his  senses ;  and,  after  grumbling  somewhat  at  the 
loss  of  his  liquor,  and  taking  a  deep  draught  of  water,  he 
entered  with  energy  on  the  sphere  of  his  duties. 

Ricker  was  a  man  of  large  stature  and  great  physical 
strength.  He  was  also  a  thorough  seaman,  and,  when 
not  stupefied  with  liquor,  was  an  active,  energetic  man. 
By  his  powerful  aid,  and  under  his  direction,  the  brig  was 
soon  put  in  a  condition  to  withstand  the  heavy  gale  from 
the  north,  which  soon  came  upon  us,  and  completely  ven- 
tilated the  steerage  and  cabin,  which  had  so  long  been  the 
depository  of  a  pestilential  atmosphere.  The  "  norther  " 
lasted  two  days,  the  greater  part  of  which  time  we  were 
lying  to,  under  a  close-reefed  main-topsail ;  and  when  the 
gale  abated,  we  found  ourselves  further  north  than  at  its 
commencement,  and  not  far  from  Cape  St.  Antonio,  the 
western  extremity  of  Cuba,  —  a  fact  which  illustrates  in 
a  striking  manner  the  force  of  the  current  which  at  cer- 
tain times  sets  north,  like  a  sluice-way,  between  Cuba  and 
Yucatan,  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  is  the  origin  of  the 
Gulf  Stream. 

"We  entered  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  with  a  fair  breeze 
sailed  for  "  the  Balize."  In  a  few  days  we  struck  sound- 
ings near  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  soon  fell  in 
with  the  turbid  waters  that  are  swept  far  out  to  sea  by 
the  strength  of  the  current  of  that  mighty  river.  We 
steered  for  a  lighthouse,  constructed  of  guanite,  on  the 


NEW    ORLEANS    IN    1817.  iiG7 

eastern  extremity  of  a  point,  and  which,  resting  on  a 
quagmire,  was  hardly  completed  before  it  assumed  an 
attitude  resembling  the  leaning  tower  of  Pisa,  and  in  six 
months  afterwards  it  took  a  horizontal  position.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  it  was  never  lighted.  We  took 
a  pilot  and  entered  the  river  by  the  Balize  or  "  South-east 
Pass,"  which  was  the  deepest  channel  at  that  time,  and 
navigable  only  for  vessels  drawing  not  more  than  fifteen 
feet  of  water,  and,  by  dint  of  hard  labor, — steam  tow- 
boats  being  then  unknown,  —  worked  our  way  to  the  city 
of  New  Orleans. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

NEW    ORLEANS    IN     1817. 

I  HAVE  already  stated  that  the  owner  of  the  brig 
Betsey  was  Mr.  Gray,  of  Salem,  a  merchant  of  great 
enterprise,  probity,  and  wealth.  He  soon  afterwards 
removed  to  Boston,  and  was  known  throughout  this  coun- 
try and  the  maritime  cities  of  Europe  by  the  name  of 
"  Billy  Gray."  His  agent  in  New  Orleans  was  Nathaniel 
Ware.  Mr.  Ricker  explained  to  him  the  mournful  events 
which  had  taken  place  on  the  passage  from  the  West 
Indies,  and  Mr.  Ware  exhibited  deep  sympathy  while 
listening  to  the  tale  of  suffering.  Ricker,  prompted  by 
a  feeling  of  gratitude  which  showed  the  goodness  of  his 
heart,  gave  me  full  credit  for  the  services  I  had  rendered 
during  the  passage ;  explained  the  nature  of  my  connec- 
tion with  the  brig,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Ware 
the  written  obligation  I  had  given  Captain  Blackler,  and 
which  was  found  among  the  papers  of  Captain  Adams. 
This  document,  which  hud  caused  me  much  anxiety,  Mr. 


368  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

Ware  returned,  along  with  the  twenty  dollars  I  had  pre- 
viously paid  towards  my  passage.  He  also  thanked  me 
for  the  assistance  I  had  rendered  Mr.  Ricker,  and  added 
something  more  substantial,  in  the  shape  of  twenty-five 
dollars,  "as  a  trifling  compensation,"  he  said,  "for  my 
services,"  although,  for  obvious  reasons,  he  was  not  aware 
of  their  full  extent.  He  suggested  that,  if  I  designed  to 
follow  the  sea,  I  could  remain  in  the  brig  on  pay,  and 
that  the  command  of  the  vessel  would  be  given  to  Mr. 
Ricker.  He  further  said  he  would  represent  my  conduct 
in  a  favorable  light  to  Mr.  Gray,  which  he  did,  and  years 
afterwards  it  was  remembered  to  my  advantage.  Mr. 
Ricker  himself  urged  me  to  remain,  and  occupy  the  situ- 
ation of  mate.  It  was  in  vain  I  assured  him  that  my 
practical  knowledge  of  seamanship  was  limited,  and  what 
little  I  once  knew  I  had  forgotten  during  my  residence 
in  the  West  Indies.  He  said  he  knew  me  better  than  I 
knew  myself;  he  would  excuse  all  imperfections,  as  he 
had  seamanship  enough  for  both,  and  to  spare.  I  was 
not  convinced ;  I  had  also  some  misgivings  in  regard  to 
the  weakness  which  he  had  exhibited,  amid  danger  and 
death,  on  the  passage  through  the  Caribbean  Sea ;  and  I 
feared  he  had  contracted  a  habit  which  would  render  any 
man  unfit  for  a  situation  involving  great  responsibilities, 
not  only  in  relation  to  property  but  also  of  life.  Never- 
theless, I  gladly  embraced  the  opportunity  to  remain  on 
board  for  a  time.  The  brig  would  probably  be  several 
weeks  in  port,  and  my  future  course  could  be  guided  by 
circumstances. 

The  moral  condition  of  New  Orleans  at  this  period  — 
the  year  1816-1817 — was  deplorable.  For  vice  and  im- 
morality, it  doubtless  bore  away  the  palm  from  every 
city  in  Christendom  or  heathen  lands.  Gaming  houses, 
and  vile,  disgusting  receptacles  of  vice  and  infamy,  were 
thickly  scattered  over  every  part  of  the  city.  Midnight 
brawls  and  robberies  were  frequent ;  and  hard-fought  fisti- 


NEW    ORLEANS    IX    1817.  369 

cuff  encounters,  sometimes  between  two  individuals,  and 
sometimes  between  two  squads  of  half  a  dozen  on  a  side, 
were  taking  place  on  the  levee,  or  in  its  neighborhood, 
almost  every  hour  in  the  day. 

The  population  of  the  city  was  of  the  most  hetero- 
geneous character.  Frenchmen  and  Spaniards,  of  all 
complexions,  native-born  citizens,  formed  the  basis.  To 
them  were  added  a  thin  sprinkling  of  Yankees,  mostly 
enterprising  business  men  ;  and  an  influx  of  refugees, 
adventurers,  smugglers,  pirates,  gamblers,  and  desperate 
scoundrels  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  large  number 
of  ships  waiting  for  freight,  and  constantly  arriving,  fur- 
nished a  formidable  body  of  sailors,  many  of  them  old 
men-of-war's  men,  who,  keeping  themselves  well  primed 
with  whiskey,  were  always  ready  for  a  set-to,  a  riot,  or  a 
row.  And  if  we  add  to  these  the  boatmen  of  the  Missis- 
sippi,—  not  only  those  who  came  down  the  river  in  flat- 
boats,  but  that  numerous  class,  now  extinct,  of  hardy, 
powerful,  reckless,  quarrelsome  fellows  who  managed  the 
keelboats,  the  only  craft  that  could  stem  the  current  of 
the  Mississippi  before  the  introduction  of  steamboat  navi- 
gation, —  it  will  be  easily  imagined  that  vice  struggled 
hard  to  exercise  full  and  uncontrolled  dominion  over  the 
capital  of  Louisiana. 

Ineffectual  efforts  were  made  to  repress  tumult  and  es- 
tablish order.  The  police  regulations  were  in  a  wretched 
condition.  The  police  officers  were  more  inclined  to  look 
after  the  blacks  than  the  whites ;  and  the  calaboose  was 
filled  every  night  with  unfortunate  darkies,  who  in  a  hum- 
ble way  were  imitating  the  vices  of  the  more  enlightened 
ca-ste.  When  symptoms  of  a  serious  riot  appeared,  the 
military  were  called  out.  On  more  than  one  occasion,  the 
sailors  on  one  side  to  the  number  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred, and  the  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  boatmen  of  equal 
or  superior  numbers  on  the  other,  were  drawn  up  in  bat- 
tle array,  and  commenced  a  desperate  contest  with  hard 


370  JACK    IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

knuckles,  bludgeons,  and  missiles  of  every  description,— 
revolvers  and  bowie-knives  had  not  at  that  time  been 
introduced  into  such  melees,  —  when  the  military  made 
their  appearance,  and  the  belligerents  were  dispersed. 

Fighting  on  the  levee  became  an  established  custom, 
and  was  sometimes  resorted  to  as  an  exciting  pastime. 
If  a  couple  of  "  old  salts  "  quarrelled  under  the  stimulus 
of  a  glass  of  grog,  instead  of  bandying  words,  and  pour- 
ing into  each  other  a  broadside  of  vulgar  epithets,  they 
quietly  adjourned  to  the  levee  and  took  it  out  in  hard 
knocks,  and  after  having  fought  with  desperation,  and 
pummelled  each  other  out  of  all  resemblance  to  human 
beings,  they  would  go  on  board  their  ship  and  cheerfully 
attend  to  their  duties. 

One  day  I  watched  with  no  little  interest  a  pitched 
battle '  between  a  wooden-legged  sailor  and  a  French 
stevedore.  The  sailor,  although  he  was  wanting  in  one 
of  his  limbs,  was  said  to  be  a  valuable  seaman  —  one 
who  would  never  shrink  from  work  of  any  kind.  He 
would  go  aloft  in  a  gale  or  in  a  calm,  and  lend  a  hand  at 
reefing  or  furling  as  promptly  as  any  man  in  the  ship. 
His  wooden  leg  was  so  constructed,  with  iron  machinery, 
at  the  extremity,  that  he  could  stand  on  a  ratline  or  a 
hawse  without  difficulty.  The  stevedore,  who  was  a  pow- 
erful fellow,  expected  to  make  short  wTork  of  the  cripple, 
taking  it  for  granted  that  Jack  could  not  stand  firm  on 
his  pins ;  and  indeed,  almost  at  the  beginning  of  the 
combat,  the  man  with  the  timber  toe  was  capsized.  His 
opponent,  flushed  with  success,  and  disregarding  the  rules 
of  honorable  warfare,  determined  to  give  Jack  a  drub- 
bing while  he  lay  sprawling  on  his  back.  But  as  he 
approached  him  with  mischievous  intent,  his  fist  clinched 
and  his  eyes  flashing  fire  and  fury,  Jack  watched  hia 
opportunity,  and  gave  him  two  or  three  kicks  with  his 
iron-shod  wooden  leg  in  swift  succession.  They  were 
so  strongly  and  judiciously  planted  that  the  astonished 


XEW    ORLEANS    IX    1817.  371 

Frenchman  was  compelled  to  measure  his  length  on  the 
ground,  from  which,  to  his  great  pain  and  mortification, 
he  was  unable  to  rise,  and  wooden-leg  hobbled  off  with 
the  palm  of  victory. 

The  most  savage  and  revolting  contest  which  I  wit- 
nessed was  a  "rough  and  tumble"  fight  between  two 
Mississippi  boatmen.  One  was  a  young  man,  of  slight 
frame,  and  rather  prepossessing  appearance ;  the  other 
was  a  burly,  broad-shouldered  ruffian  from  Tennessee. 
The  quarrel  originated  in  a  gaming  house,  over  a  pack 
of  cards,  and  the  parties  adjourned  to  the  street  to  settle 
the  matter  in  regular  style.  But  few  words  were  inter- 
changed. They  grasped  each  other  firmly  by  the  waist, 
and  after  a  severe  struggle  for  the  mastery,  both  fell 
heavily  to  the  earth,  when  the  real  battle  commenced. 
In  a  close,  but  not  loving  embrace,  they  rolled  over  and 
over  again.  Xo  blows  were  given;  they  seemed  to  be 
clutching  at  each  other's  faces,  but  their  motions  were  so 
quick,  violent,  and  spasmodic  that  I  could  not  see  how 
their  hands  were  occupied.  The  struggle  was  soon  over ; 
the  Kentuckian  released  himself  from  the  relaxed  grasp 
of  his  prostrate  antagonist,  and  sprang  to  his  feet.  He 
looked  around  on  the  spectators  with  a  smile  of  triumph, 
then  entered  the  miniature  Pandemonium,  apparently  with- 
out having  received  injury.  His  vanquished  opponent  was 
assisted  to  his  feet.  He  was  groaning,  quivering  in  every 
limb,  and  manifesting  symptoms  of  insufferable  agony.  I 
pressed  forward,  eager  to  ascertain  what  injury  he  had 
received  in  this  strangely  conducted  combat,  when,  to  my 
great  horror,  I  saw  the  blood  streaming  from  his  cheeks, 
and  shuddered  a#  I  witnessed  other  and  unmistakable 
proofs  of  a  successful  attempt  at  gouging. 

Nor  were  these  pugnacious  propensities,  which  seemed 
epidemical,  confined  to  the  lowest  classes  in  society. 
They  were  manifested  by  those  who  moved  in  a  higher 
sphere,  and  who,  looking  with  contempt  on  vulgar  ii^ti- 


372  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

cuffs  and  gouging,  settled  their  difficulties  satisfactorily 
according  to  the  established  rules  of  the  duello  —  with 
sword,  pistol,  or  rifle.  Hostile  meetings  on  the  levee, 
below  the  city,  where  the  population  was  sparse,  and  no 
impertinent  interruptions  could  be  apprehended,  were  fre- 
quent. Indeed,  the  intelligence,  some  pleasant  morning, 
that  a  duel  had  just  been  fought,  and  one  of  the  parties 
lamed  in  the  sword  arm,  or  scientifically  run  through  the 
body  with  a  small  sword,  or  bored  through  the  cranium 
with  a  pistol-bullet,  excited  little  attention  or  remark, 
excepting  among  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  parties. 

One  duel,  however,  was  fought  while  I  was  in  New 
Orleans,  which,  being  attended  with  some  unusual  cir- 
cumstances, caused  considerable  talk.  The  principals  were 
a  French  gentleman  and  a  lieutenant  in  the  navy  of  the 
United  States.  A  dispute  occurred  in  a  billiard  room ; 
the  Frenchman  used  some  insolent  and  irritating  lan- 
guage, and,  instead  of  being  soundly  drubbed  on  the 
spot,  was  challenged  by  the  naval  officer.  The  chal- 
lenged party  selected  the  small  sword  as  the  medium  of 
satisfaction, — a  weapon  in  the  use  of  which  he  was  well 
skilled.  The  American  officer  was  remonstrated  with  by 
his  friends  on  the  folly  of  fighting  a  Frenchman,  a  noted 
duellist,  with  his  favorite  weapon,  the  small  sword ;  it  was 
rushing  on  certain  death.  But  the  challenge  had  been 
given,  accepted,  and  the  weapons  agreed  on  ;  there  could 
be  no  change  in  the  arrangement  ;  and,  indeed,  the 
Yankee,  who  was  a  fine,  determined-looking  young  fel- 
low, showed  no  disposition  to  "back  out." 

"  I  may  fall  in  battle,"  said  he,  "  by  the  sword  or  shot 
of  a  brave  Englishman,  but  never  by  a  thrust  from  a 
spit  in  the  hands  of  a  spindle-shanked  Frenchman  !  Dis- 
miss all  fears  on  my  account;  I  will  give  this  '•Parlez- 
vous  Fran$ais '  a  lesson  in  fighting  he  little  dreams  of." 

They  met  on  the  duelling  ground  at  the  appointed  hour. 
There  were  more  spectators  present  than  usual  on  such 


NEW   ORLEANS   IN   1817.  373 

occasions.  The  Frenchman  affected  to  treat  the  matter 
with  indifference,  and  made  some  frivolous  remarks  which 
excited  the  laughter  of  his  countrymen.  Indeed,  the 
chances  seemed  to  be  a  hundred  to  one  against  the  lieu- 
tenant, who  could  handle  with  terrible  effect  a  cutlass  or  a 
boarding-pike,  but  was  almost  a  stranger  to  a  weapon,  to 
excel  in  the  use  of  which,  a  man  must  be  as  loose  in  the 
joints  as  a  posture  maker,  and  as  light  in  the  heels  as  a 
dancing  master.  And  yet  there  was  something  in  the  cool, 
resolute,  business-like  bearing  of  the  Yankee  which  in- 
spired his  friends  with  some  confidence  in  his  success;  and 
they  watched  the  proceedings  under  an  intense  degree  of 
excitement. 

The  parties  took  their  places,  assumed  the  proper  atti- 
tudes, and  crossed  swords.  The  Frenchman  grinned  with 
anticipated  triumph.  It  was  clear  that,  confident  in  his 
skill,  and  richly  endowed  with  feline  propensities,  he  in- 
tended to  amuse  himself  and  the  bystanders  for  a  few  min- 
utes, by  playing  with  his  intended  victim.  His  antagonist, 
however,  stood  firm,  until  the  Frenchman,  with  a  nimble 
caper,  changed  his  ground,  when  the  officer  bounded  for- 
ward, got  within  the  guard  of  his  opponent,  and  with  a 
thrust,  the  force  of  which  nothing  could  withstand,  sent 
his  sword,  apparently,  through  the  body  of  the  Frenchman 
to  the  hilt ! 

The  poor  fellow  was  hurled  to  the  ground  by  the  vio- 
lence of  the  shock,  and  supposed  to  be  mortally  wounded. 
That  he  was  not  killed  outright  was  certain,  for,  owing  to 
surprise  and  grief  at  this  unlooked-for  result,  the  fear  of 
death,  or  extreme  physical  pain,  he  discharged  a  volley  of 
screams  that  could  be  heard  a  mile  off,  writhed  and  twist- 
ed his  body  into  all  sorts  of  shapes,  and  manufactured, 
gratuitously,  a  continuous  and  ever-changing  series  of 
grimaces,  for  which  the  younger  Grimaldi  would  have 
pawned  his  cap  and  bawble. 

The  wails  and  contortions  of  the  wounded  man  were 
82 


374  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

such,  that  it  was  some  time  before  his  friends  and  a  sur- 
geon who  was  present  could  examine  his  condition,  which 
appeared  deplorable  enough.  Indeed,  an  examination 
seemed  hardly  necessary,  unless  for  the  purpose  of  gratify- 
ing curiosity,  as  the  wretched  man,  amid  his  groans  and 
screams,  kept  repeating,  with  much  emphasis  and  pathos, 
the  terrible  words,  "  Je  suis  assassine  !  Je  suis  assassine  !  " 
(I  am  killed !  I  am  killed !)  But  as  his  voice  grew  stronger, 
instead  of  weaker,  at  every  repetition  of  the  phrase,  doubts 
were  entertained  of  his  veracity  ;  and  a  surgical  inspection 
showed  beyond  cavil,  that  he  was  laboring  under  a  hallu- 
cination, and  asseverating  with  needless  energy  what  was 
not  strictly  true. 

That  he  was  not  killed  on  the  spot,  however,  —  impaled 
on  a  rapier  as  an  unscrupulous  entomologist  would  impale 
a  beetle,  —  could  hardly  be  regarded  as  the  fault  of  his 
opponent.  The  thrust  was  directed  to  the  place  where 
the  centre  of  the  body  of  the  Frenchman  should  have 
been,  but  it  was  not  there.  The  sword  passed  only  through 
the  muscles  of  the  abdomen,  from  the  right  side  to  the  left, 
perforating  his  body,  it  is  true,  and  grazing,  but  not  injur- 
ing, the  larger  intestines.  The  wound  in  itself  was  not  a 
dangerous  one,  although  the  disturbance  among  the  bundle 
of  integuments  threw  the  discomfited  duellist  into  almost 
mortal  agony,  and  led  him  to  believe  he  was  a  dead  man, 
while  experiencing  in  his  own  person  a  liberal  share  of  the 
pain  he  was  so  ready  to  inflict  on  others. 


A    VOYAGE    TO    HAVRE.  375 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

A    VOYAGE     TO    HAVRE. 

THE  Betsey  remained  some  weeks  at  the  levee  at  New 
Orleans  before  Mr.  Ware  could  fix  upon  a  voyage.  In 
the  mean  time  Ricker  remained  on  board  as  master  of  the 
brig;  and  for  several  days  after  our  arrival  in  port  his 
habits  were  correct  and  his  conduct  without  reproach. 
Gradually,  however,  he  strayed  from  the  paths  of  sobriety. 
He  was  of  a  social  turn ;  frank,  honest,  cheerful,  and  liber- 
al-minded. He  possessed  other  valuable  traits  of  charac- 
ter ;  was  a  good  sailor  and  a  skilful  navigator,  but  he 
could  not  resist  the  fascinations  of  the  intoxicating  cup. 

Intemperance  disqualifies  a  man  from  employments 
where  the  exercise  of  cool  judgment,  and  clear,  undis- 
turbed reasoning  faculties  are  required ;  and  no  person  ad- 
dicted to  habits  of  intemperance  should  be  intrusted  with 
the  command  of  a  ship,  where  property  to  a  large  amount, 
and  lives  of  incalculable  value,  are,  as  it  were,  given  into 
his  hands.  If  records  of  disasters  could  be  faithfully  kept, 
and  unfolded,  we  should  have  an  appalling  list  of  casualties, 
quarrels,  mutinies,  and  shipwrecks  which  have  been 
caused  by  intemperance  on  the  part  of  the  commanders. 

Mr.  Ware,  the  commercial  agent  of  Mr.  Gray,  when  visit- 
ing the  brig  had  seen  Ricker  more  than  once  in  a  situation 
which  roused  his  suspicions  that  all  was  not  right,  and  one 
unlucky  afternoon  he  found  him  in  a  helpless,  maudlin 
condition,  which  convinced  him  that  Mr.  Ricker,  notwith- 
standing his  excellent  qualities,  was  not  a  person  to  whom 
could  be  safely  given  the  control  of  property  and  life  on 
the  high  seas. 

Ricker  was  mortified  at  losing,  through  his  own  weak- 
ness, the  command  of  the  brig.  He  made  no  complaint, 


376  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE.  ^A 

however,  of  harsh  or  unjust  treatment  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Ware ;  and  consented  to  remain  as  mate,  promising  to  re- 
frain entirely  from  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors.  The 
command  was  given  to  an  officer  in  the  United  States 
navy,  Lieutenant  Rapp ;  and  in  this  way  I  was  ousted  from 
the  berth  which  Ricker  was  so  desirous  I  should  fill. 
There  was  no  longer  a  home  for  me  in  the  cabin  of  the 
Betsey,  and  I  shipped  as  an  ordinary  seaman  on  board  the 
brig  Casket,  of  New  York,  Captain  Mott,  bound  on  a 
voyage  to  Havre. 

The  Casket  was  a  large  and  handsome  brig,  and  besides 
the  captain,  mate,  boatswain,  and  cook,  carried  six  hands 
before  the  mast.  The  chief  mate  was  a  hard-looking  cus- 
tomer, somewhat  advanced  in  years,  rough  in  his  manners, 
and  profane  and  coarse  in  his  language.  But  the  captain 
was  a  fine-looking  man,  about  thirty  years  old,  rather  dig- 
nified and  reserved.  His  appearance  spoke  volumes  in  his 
favor,  and  the  crew  who  joined  the  ship  in  New  Orleans 
rejoiced  in  this  opportunity  of  shipping  in  a  fine  vessel, 
with  a  whole-souled  captain,  and  bound  on  a  European 
voyage ! 

Before  we  reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  however,  the 
men  sang  a  different  tune.  They  found  the  mate  more 
arbitrary,  unreasonable,  and  every  way  disagreeable,  if 
possible,  than  he  looked;  and  the  captain  evidently  re- 
garded a  sailor  as  a  piece  of  machinery  to  be  wound  up 
occasionally  for  the  performance  of  certain  duties,  but 
without  any  human  attributes.  Whether  a  heart  beat 
within  a  sailor's  bosom,  and  his  head  was  furnished  with 
brains,  Captain  Mott  knew  not,  neither  did  he  care.  The 
comfort  or  feelings  of  any  one  of  the  crew  were  never 
taken  into  account.  If  a  man  was  sick  and  incapa- 
ble of  work,  he  was  told,  with  an  oath,  to  "bear  a  hand 
and  get  well,  and  not  be  skulking  in  the  forecastle ; "  and 
when  attending  to  his  duties,  he  was  regaled  with  stern 
looks  and  abusive  language,  and  sent  upon  missions  at 


A    VOYAGE    TO    HAVRE.  377 

times,  and  under  circumstances,  which  showed  that  Cap- 
tain Mott  thought  a  few  sailors,  more  or  less,  in  the  world, 
were  of  no  manner  of  consequence. 

In  former  days  every  Yankee  shipmaster  was  not  a  live, 
wide-awake,  pushing,  driving,  web-footed  Jehu,  who  disre- 
garded fogs,  was  reckless  of  collisions  with  ships,  fishing 
vessels,  or  icebergs,  and  cared  little  whether  he  strained 
the  ship  and  damaged  cargo,  provided  he  made  a  short  pas- 
sage, as  is  the  case  in  this  enlightened  age  when  "  Young 
America"  is  in  the  ascendant.  An  "old  fogy"  was  occa- 
sionally met  with,  who,  being  well  paid  for  his  services 
by  the  month,  prided  himself  more  upon  the  strength  of 
his  ship's  sailing  than  her  rapidity.  This  appears  from 
the  following  scene  which  once  took  place  on  board  a 
Boston  ship  : 

Captain  Jarvis  was  lying  in  his  berth,  dreaming  of  along 
passage  and  plenty  of  money  at  the  end  of  it,  when  he 
was  awakened  by  the  unwonted  noise  of  water  under  the 
counter,  giving  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  the  officer  of  the 
watch  was  carrying  more  sail  than  was  expedient.  He 
jumped  out  of  his  berth,  rushed  up  the  steps,  popped  his 
head  out  of  the  companion-way,  and  sharply  exclaimed, 
"  Mr.  Popkins,  heave  the  log." 

Mr.  Popkins.     Ay,  ay,  sir ! 

Captain  Jarvis.  How  fast  does  the  old  ship  go,  Mr. 
Popkins  ? 

Mr.  Popkins.    Nine  knots,  sir ! 

Captain  Jarvis.  Nine  knots !  Julius  Caesar !  I  am 
astonished.  Take  in  some  of  that  canvas  immediately, 
Mr.  Popkins.  I  can't  afford  to  sail  so  fast  as  nine  knots. 

J//-.  Popkins.     Ay,  ay,  sir. 

The  studding  sails  were  hauled  in,  and  the  main  royal 
and  fore  and  mizzen  top-gallant  sails  furled. 

Captain  Jarvis.  How  fast  does  she  go  now,  Mr.  Pop- 
kins? 

32* 


378  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Mr.  Popkins,  (after  heaving  the  log.)  Seven  knots  and 
a  half,  sir ! 

Captain  Jarvis.  Too  fast,  sir  —  much  too  fast !  Take 
in  more  sail.  Why,  Mr.  Popkins,  we  shall  be  at  the  end 
of  our  voyage  before  we  know  it,  at  this  rate. 

Mr.  Popkins,  with  the  men  of  the  larboard  watch,  went 
to  work,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  ship  was  running  along 
quietly  under  her  three  topsails,  jib,  and  spanker. 

Captain  Jarvis.    Throw  the  log,  Mr.  Popkins. 

Mr.  Popkins.     She  is  now  going  six  knots,  sir. 

Captain  Jarvis.  Six  knots!  Very  well  —  very  well 
indeed,  Mr.  Popkins.  Always  bear  in  mind  that  we  are 
not  paid  by  "the  run,"  or  the  voyage;  and  six  knots  is 
very  fair  sailing  between  man  and  man.  It  is  better  to  sail 
strong  than  to  sail  fast.  Don't  let  me  catch  you  running 
off  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  again.  Stick  to  six  and  you 
will  do,  otherwise  there  will  be  no  wages  coming  to  us 
when  we  get  home.  Do  you  hear,  Mr.  Popkins  ? 

Mr.  Popkins,  gruffly,  (he  had  a  sprinkling  of  Young 
America  in  his  composition.)  Ay,  ay,  sir ! 


Although  Captain  Mott  was  sometimes  deficient  in 
judgment,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  narrowly  es- 
caped losing  overboard  some  of  the  crew,  or  wrecking  the 
brig,  he  was,  nevertheless,  an  excellent  seaman,  managed 
his  vessel  with  skill,  and  navigated  her  with  unusual  cor- 
rectness. Not  being  paid  by  the  month  but  by  primage 
on  the  freight,  he  was  a  veritable  "  driver,"  and  lost  no  op- 
portunity to  urge  his  vessel  ahead,  even  at  the  risk  of 
starting  a  butt,  springing  a  spar,  or  losing  a  man.  Being 
always  willing  to  work,  on  hand  in  any  emergency,  and 
never  shrinking  from  danger,  I  was  often  a  sufferer  from 
his  go-ahead  instincts,  as  well  as  from  his  arbitrary  man- 
dates and  unfeeling  disposition.  And  were  it  not  that 
there  is 

"  A  sweet  little  cherub  which  sits  up  aloft, 
And  looks  out  for  the  life  of  poor  Jack," 


A    VOYAGE    TO    HAVRE.  379 

I  should  have  become  food  for  fishes  long  before  we  reached 
the  longitude  of  the  Western  Islands. 

One  afternoon,  before  we  left  the  Gulf  Stream,  a  thun- 
der squall  arose  from  the  south-east.  It  came  towards  us 
rapidly,  as  if  borne  on  the  wings  of  the  Genius  of  Storms. 
Its  whole  aspect  was  "  wicked  "  in  the  extreme,  and  every 
man  on  board  knew  that  prudence  required  sail  to  be  taken 
in  and  preparations  made  for  the  reception  of  the  tornado. 
The  captain  was  on  deck,  but  the  boatswain  unfortunately 
remarked,  "That  squall  looks  like  an  ugly  customer,  sir, 
and  it  will  soon  be  necessary  to  shorten  sail." 

This  remark,  made  in  the  most  respectful  manner, 
roused  the  captain's  ire.  He  chose  to  consider  it  an  un- 
authorized and  impertinent  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
petty  officer ;  the  squall,  as  well  as  the  boatswain,  was 
denounced  in  language  not  often  heard  in  a  drawing  room, 
and  both  were  consigned  to  a  hotter  place  than  the  craters 
of  Mauna  Loa. 

The  clouds  spread  over  the  zenith,  the  thunder  rattled 
as  if  it  would  rend  the  welkin,  the  wind  began  to  blow  in 
short-lived'  puffs,  as  if  making  preparations  for  a  regular 
"  blow  out ; "  the  men  were  stationed  at  the  halliards,  fore 
and  aft,  waiting  with  intense  anxiety  the  result,  and  the 
captain  was  pacing  the  quarter-deck,  looking  as  savage  as 
a  hungry  bull-dog,  and  determined  to  show  that  he  was 
not  to  be  frightened  by  squibs,  but  would  carry  sail  in 
spite  of  the  squall. 

At  that  time  we  were  under  courses,  topsails,  top-gallant- 
sails,  and  a  main-royal ;  our  fore-royal  mast  was  snugly 
stowed  alongside  the  long-boat  on  deck,  where,  at  that  tem- 
pestuous season,  the  main  one  should  also  have  been.  The 
order  at  length  was  given,  "  Clew  up  the  main-royal !  Let 
a  hand  go  aloft  and  furl  it." 

The  sail  was  clewed  up,  and  in  a  few  seconds  I  was 
clinging  to  the  sliding  gunter  royal  mast,  and  gathering 
in  the  canvas,  while  the  captain  was  denouncing  me  for  a 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

lubber,  for  not  accomplishing  impossibilities.  The  light- 
ning was  flashing  around  me,  and  the  peals  of  thunder  were 
deafening;  the  rain  was  beginning  to  fall,  and  the  wind  to 
blow  with  alarming  violence,  before  I  could  spill  the  sail 
and  pass  the  gaskets.  Suddenly  I  heard  a  tumultuous 
noise  as  of  the  roar  of  angry  breakers.  I  cast  my  eye  to 
windward,  and  beheld  the  whole  surface  of  the  sea  cov- 
ered with  a  sheet  of  snow-white  foam.  At  the  same 
moment  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  captain,  who  was  now 
really  alarmed,  in  a  tone  which  could  be  heard  above  the 
roar  of  the  hurricane,  shouting,  with  frantic  energy,  "Hard 
up  your  helm  !  Hard  up,  I  say.  Let  go  all  the  halliards, 
fore  and  aft !  Haul  up  the  mainsail !  Lower  away  that 
try-sail!  Clew  down  the  top-gallant  sails!  Why  don't 
you  put  the  helm  hard  up?" 

I  was  sensible  of  the  danger  of  my  situation,  standing 
on  "  the  hounds "  of  the  top-gallant  mast,  and  almost 
within  reach  of  the  truck,  while  the  brig,  with  all  sail  set, 
was  exposed  to  the  fury  of  this  terrible  thunder  gust. 
Obeying  an  irresistible  impulse  to  take  care  of  "number 
one,"  I  slid  down  the  topmast  cross-trees,  caught  hold  of 
the  weather  top-gallant  backstay,  and  came  on  deck  much 
faster  than  I  went  aloft !  My  feet  had  hardly  touched  the 
deck  when  a  gust  struck  the  brig  with  a  fury  which  I  have 
seldom  seen  surpassed.  It  rushed  upon  us  like  an  ava- 
lanche on  a  hamlet  in  an  Alpine  valley.  Halliards,  sheets, 
and  tacks  were  let  go,  but  the  yards  were  still  braced  up, 
and  the  sails  could  not  be  clewed  down.  Before  the  vessel 
could  get  before  the  wind  her  lee  side  was  buried  in  the 
water.  The  conviction  seized  every  mind  that  a  capsize 
was  inevitable,  and  there  was  a  general  rush  towards  the 
weather  gunwale,  and  a  desperate  clutching  at  the  shrouds. 
At  this  critical  moment  the  main-topmast  snapped  off  like 
a  pipe  stem,  just  above  the  cap,  and  carried  with  it  the 
fore-top-gallant  mast.  The  brig  righted,  fell  off  before  the 
wind,  scudded  like  a  duck,  dragging  the  broken  spars,  aixl 


A    VOYAGE    TO    HAVRE.  381 

her  sails  torn  to  ribbons ;  and  a  cold  shudder  crept  over 
me  when  I  thought  of  the  appalling  clanger  from  which, 
by  sliding  down  the  backstay,  I  had  so  narrowly  escaped. 

When  we  struck  soundings  off  the  English  Channel, 
the  word  was  given  to  the  boatswain  to  bend  the  cables 
and  get  the  anchors  over  the  bows.  The  wind  was  blow- 
ing hard  from  the  northward,  with  violent  squalls  and  a 
short  head  sea,  and  Captain  Mott  showed  no  disposition  to 
reduce  the  canvas  in  order  to  lighten  our  labors,  but  car- 
ried sail  and  drove  the  vessel  as  if  he  was  running  from  a 
pirate.  The  brig  frequently  plunged  her  knight-heads 
under  water,  deluging  every  man  on  the  forecastle  with 
sheets  of  salt  water.  In  the  mean  time  the  captain,  and 
also  the  mate,  dry-shod  on  the  quarter-deck,  grinned, 
and  winked  at  each  other,  at  witnessing  our  involuntary 
ablutions,  with  the  mercury  at  the  freezing  point,  while 
subjected  to  this  severe  course  of  hydropathic  treatment, 
and  doing  work  which,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  could 
have  been  accomplished  in  a  few  hours. 

Reefing  a  topsail  in  a  gale  is  an  evolution  simple  in 
itself;  and  when  the  sail  is  placed  by  the  skill  of  the  officer 
of  the  deck  in  a  proper  condition,  the  work  aloft  can  be 
accomplished  in  five  minutes,  even  by  a  bungling  crew. 
But  Captain  Mott  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  placing  ob- 
stacles in  the  way  of  the  ready  performance  of  any  impor- 
tant duty,  and  held  the  crew  accountable  for  any  extraor- 
dinary delay.  Thus  in  reefing  topsails,  the  men  were 
sometimes  half  an  hour  on  the  yard,  endeavoring  in  vain 
to  do  a  work  which  his  own  obstinacy  or  ignorance 
rendered  impracticable,  and  he,  all  the  while,  cursing  and 
swearing  at  the  crew  for  their  inefficiency,  in  a  style  which 
would  have  done  credit  to  the  leader  of  a  press-gang. 

The  men,  generally,  were  good  seamen,  and  able  and 
willing  to  do  their  work,  and  with  proper  treatment  would 
have  proved  first  rate  sailors;  but  it  is  an  old  and  true 
saving  that  bad  officers  make  a  bad  crew.  When  a  man's 


882  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

best  efforts  are  rewarded  with  abuse,  it  is  unreasonable  to 
expect  that  he  will  perform  his  various  duties  with  alac- 
rity and  cheerfulness.  It  was  customary,  at  that  period, 
for  rum  to  be  served  out  to  the  crew,  and  the  minimum 
allowance,  in  nearly  all  American  vessels,  was  a  glass  of 
rum  at  dinner,  with  an  extra  glass  during  exposure  to 
inclement  weather,  or  when  engaged  in  unusually  fatiguing 
labors.  This  extra  glass  was  generally  served  out  by  the 
steward  at  the  companion-way,  and  the  men  were  sum- 
moned to  partake  of  this  indulgence  by  a  call  to  "  splice 
the  main  brace." 

Captain  Mott,  however,  refused  to  furnish  the  crew  of 
the  Casket  with  the  usual  daily  allowance  of  grog.  This 
refusal,  there  was  reason  to  believe,  was  caused,  not  by  a 
commendable  wish  to  promote  temperance,  and  break  up 
habits  of  intoxication,  but  from  a  desire  to  gratify  a  surly 
and  unamiable  disposition,  and  deprive  the  men  of  an 
enjoyment  which  they  highly  prized.  With  such  a  captain 
and  mate,  and  regulations  of  the  most  arbitrary  and  strin- 
gent character,  it  may  be  imagined  that  the  grumbling  at 
hard  treatment,  and  the  muttered  curses  against  the  in- 
mates of  the  cabin,  were  neither  few,  nor  far  between. 

But  the  captain,  while  he  refused  the  daily  allowance 
of  grog,  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  withhold  the  usual 
allowance  on  Saturday  night,  when  every  true  sailor  loved 
to  meet  his  shipmates  around  a  flowing  bowl,  and  pass  a 
happy  hour  in  lively  conversation,  singing  sea  songs,  spin- 
ning yarns,  and  drinking  with  heartfelt  emotion  the  toast  of 
all  others  the  dearest  and  best — "  Sweethearts  and  Wives." 


«,. 


"  Of  all  the  nights  that  grace  the  week, 

There's  none  can  equal  this ; 
It  binds  the  mind  in  friendship's  bonds  ; 

It  heightens  social  bliss. 
For  though  far  distant  from  the  land, 

At  home  our  thoughts  shall  be, 
Whilst,  shipmates,  joining  heart  and  hand 

Hail  Saturday  Night  at  Sea." 


A    VOYAGE    TO    HAVRE.  383 

Xo  one  can  imagine  the  tender,  thrilling,  and  holy  asso- 
ciations which  cluster  round  those  words,  "  Sweethearts 
and  Wives,"  unless  he  has  been  long  separated  from  those 
he  loves,  a  wanderer  on  a  distant  sea.  That  Saturday 
night  toast  came  home  to  the  bosom  of  every  man  who 
carried  a  heart  beneath  a  blue  jacket.  The  gallantry  of 
the  sailor  has  often  been  spoken  of.  His  devotion  to 
woman  is  proverbial.  With  few  opportunities  to  mingle 
in  female  society,  he  can,  nevertheless,  truly  estimate  its 
value,  and  appreciate  its  advantages.  Indeed,  I  have 
known  old  sailors,  whose  rough  and  wrinkled  visages, 
blunt  and  repulsive  manners,  coarse  and  unrefined  lan- 
guage, were  enough  to  banish  gentle  Cupid  to  an  iceberg, 
exhibit  the  kindest  and  tenderest  feelings  when  speaking 
of  woman,  whom  in  the  abstract  they  regarded  as  a  being 
not  merely  to  be  protected,  cherished,  and  loved,  but  also 
to  be  adored. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  well-deserved  rebuke  I  once 
received  from  a  sturdy  old  tar  for  an  ill-tirned  comment 
on  a  woman's  personal  appearance.  It  was  in  St.  Sal- 
vador. The  captain  of  a  Portuguese  ship  was  going  on 
shore  accompanied  by  his  wife.  The  boat  crossed  the 
bows  of  the  ship  I  was  in  ;  the  feminine  garments  attracted 
the  attention  of  all  hands,  who  suspended  their  work  and 
gazed  upon  the  charming  object  as  if  they  beheld  some- 
thing more  than  mortal.  As  the  boat  passed  onward,  and 
we  resumed  labors  which  the  glimpse  of  a  petticoat  had 
interrupted,  with  a  want  of  gallantry  which  I  trust  is  for- 
eign to  my  character,  for  which  I  cannot  even  now  ac- 
count, and  of  which  I  was  afterwards  heartily  ashamed,  I 
casually  remarked,  "  Well,  there's  nothing  wonderful  about 
her,  after  all;  she's  homely  enough,  in  all  conscience!" 

u  Hawser,"  said  my  old  shipmate,  in  a  solemn  and  im- 
pressive manner,  gracefully  waving  the  marlinspike  which 
he  held  in  his  hand,  "  there  is  no  such  thing  in  nater  as  a 
homely  woman  !  " 


384  JACK    IN    THE    FOKECASTLE. 

"  Saturday  Night "  in  olden  times  was  not  only  devoted 
to  reminiscences  of  home  and  affectionate  associations,  but 
was  also  the  time  selected  for  indulgence  in  the  Songs  of 
the  Forecastle.  After  the  usual  toast,  "  Sweethearts  and 
Wives,"  had  been  drunk  with  enthusiasm,  some  one  of  the 
crew  was  called  on  for  a  song,  and  the  call  was  responded 
to  without  affected  reluctance;  and  the  beams,  carlines, 
and  bulkheads  of  the  old  forecastle  rang  again  with  stir- 
ring songs  or  ballads  poured  forth  from  manly  and 
musical  throats,  in  praise  of  beauty,  descriptive  of  life  at 
sea,  recording  deeds  of  heroism,  or  inculcating  lessons  of 
patriotism. 

To  these  songs  of  the  forecastle,  sung  on  the  land  as 
well  as  on  the  ocean,  in  beauty's  bower  as  well  as  in  the 
sailor's  sanctuary  or  the  stifled  cabin,  in  days  when  accom- 
paniments to  vocal  music  were  not  considered  necessary, 
when  the  full  melodious  sound  of  the  human  voice,  the 
noblest  music  in  the  world,  was  not  strangled,  drowned,  or 
travestied  by  the  noise  of  the  everlasting  piano,  played 
with  artistic  skill  —  to  these  spirit-stirring  songs  of  the 
forecastle  was  commerce  indebted  for  many  of  the  finest 
and  best  sailors  ever  sprinkled  with  salt  water. 

The  well  known  songs  of  "  the  Bay  of  Biscay,"  "  Black 
Eyed  Susan,"  and  "Cease,  rude  Boreas,"  once  listened  to 
with  emotion  and  delight  at  the  cottage  fireside,  or  the 
fashionable  drawing  room,  and  the  many  songs  long  since 
forgotten  of  a  similar  character,  written  by  salt  water 
poets,  and  sung  by  mariners  at  home  and  abroad,  have 
transformed  enthusiastic  and  adventurous  landsmen  into 
sailors  by  scores,  as  by  the  touch  of  an  enchanter's  wand. 
Dibdin  did  more  to  man  the  "wooden  walls  of  old  Eng- 
land" with  brave  and  effective  men  than  all  the  press- 
gangs  that  ever  infested  the  banks  of  the  Thames. 

There  was  one  man  on  board  the  Casket  who,  more 
than  all  others,  aided  to  keep  the  crew  cheerful  and  happy. 
He  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the  forecastle.  Not  all  the 


A    VOYAGK    TO    HAVRE.  385 

oppressive  and  unfeeling  acts  of  the  captain,  and  rough 
and  unjust  treatment  from  the  mate,  which  would  nat- 
urally excite  indignation  and  a  discontented  spirit,  such  as 
sometimes  will  lead  to  insubordination  on  the  part  of  the 
crew,  followed  by  the  free  use  of  handspikes,  rope's  ends, 
and  manacles,  on  the  part  of  the  officers,  could  repress 
the  spirits  of  Jonas  Silvernail,  spoil  his  jokes,  or  lessen  the 
volume  of  his  hearty  and  sonorous  laugh.  Jonas  was  a 
native  of  Hudson,  in  New  York ;  a  young,  active,  intelli- 
gent sailor,  who,  always  good-humored,  was  never  more 
happy  than  when  singing  a  sea  song,  spinning  a  merry 
yarn,  or  playing  off'  a  practical  joke.  Jonas  was  one  of 
those  jovial  mortals  who  seemed  determined  to  make  sure 
of  present  enjoyment,  and  let  the  future  take  care  of 
itself;  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  life,  while  others  de- 
spondingly  wilt  in  the  shade. 

Good  humor. is  contagious;  and  it  was  owing  to  the 
cheerful,  contented  spirit,  infused  among  the  crew  of  the 
Casket  by  Silvernail's  example,  that  they  forbore  from 
insolent  remonstrances,  and  wisely  resolved  to  bear  the  ills 
they  had,  rather 

"  Than  fly  to  others  which  they  knew  not  of." 

Such  a  man  in  the  forecastle  of  a  ship  —  and  in  my  sea- 
faring days  such  men  were  not  rare  —  is  a  treasure.  He 
lightens  the  labors  of  a  crew,  adds  to  the  harmony  and 
happiness  of  all  on  board,  shortens  a  passage,  and,  as  a 
natural  consequence,  promotes  the  interests  of  the  owner. 
On  one  occasion,  however,  Silvernail's  fondness  for  fun 
threatened  to  disturb  the  harmony  which  was  wont  to  reign 
in  the  forecastle.  Among  the  crew  was  a  big,  clumsy 
Dutchman,  through  whose  thick  cranium  no  joke  could 
penetrate,  and  whose  feet  were  of  proportions  as  huge  as 
his  head,  each  resembling,  in  size  and  shape,  a  Brazilian 
catamaran.  The  men  conversing  one  day  of  the  dangers 
of  the  seas,  and  the  best  means  of  preserving  life  in  cases 

33 


JACK   IX    THE    FORECASTLE. 

of  shipwreck,  or  when  accidentally  falling  overboard, 
Hans,  who  cherished  a  strong  attachment  to  his  own  dear 
person,  expressed  a  regret  that  he  had  no  cork  jacket,  by 
whose  aid  he  could  float  above  the  waves. 

"  Be  under  no  concern  on  that  account,"  remarked  Jonas. 
"If  you  were  in  the  water,  a  cork  jacket  would  be  of  no 
more  use  to  you  than  a  pair  of  curling  tongs  to  Cuffy,  the 
black  cook.  But  don't  try  to  swim.  Tread  water  lustily 
with  those  mud  scows  (pointing  to  his  feet)  and  you  will 
never  go  to  the  bottom." 

"You  just  let  my  foot  alone,"  said  Hans,  his  face  glow- 
ing with  indignation.  "  You  are  always  poking  fun  at  my 
foot,  and  I  don't  half  like  it.  My  foot  is  one  very  good 
foot,  (holding  it  up,  and  swaying  it  backwards  and  for- 
wards ;)  just  fit  to  kick  an  impudent  vagabone  with,  and 
teach  him  better  manners." 

"  That  may  be  true,"  said  Silvernail,  with  a  provoking 
grin ;  "  but  if  you  should  chance  to  miss  the  vagabone,  as 
you  call  him,  your  foot  would  fly  off!  " 

This,  and  the  loud  laugh  from  his  shipmates,  with  which 
it  was  attended,  was  more  than  even  the  phlegmatic 
Dutchman  could  bear.  He  made  a  furious  pass  at  Jonas 
with  his  much-abused  foot,  which,  if  it  had  taken  effect, 
would  have  demolished  the  joker  in  a  twinkling.  But 
Jonas  stepped  aside,  caught  the  ponderous  foot  in  his  hand, 
and  the  next  moment  Hans  was  sprawling  on  his  back. 
He  arose,  breathing  guttural  but  incomprehensible  denun- 
ciations against  his  tormentor,  who  escaped  from  his  clutches 
by  nimbly  running  up  the  ratlines  to  the  foretop,  where 
he  could  safely  indulge  his  merriment  over  the  wrath  of 
the  Dutchman. 

I  was  often  amused  at  the  ingenious  manner  in  which 
Jonas  managed  to  get  over  a  difficulty.  One  day  when, 
with  the  wind  abaft  the  beam,  blowing  a  strong  breeze,  we 
were  carrying  a  main-topmast  studding  sail,  the  boatswain 
very  properly  undertook  to  get  up  a  preventer-brace  on 


A    VOYAGK    TO    HAVRE.  387 

the  weather  main  yard-arm.  A  rope  was  procured,  which 
had  already  been  considerably  worn,  and  the  boatswain 
expressed  some  apprehension  that  it  was  hardly  strong 
enough  for  the  service  required.  "  O,"  said  Jonas  in  an 
off-hand,  decided  manner,  "it  will  hold  on  until  it 
breaks;  and  if  it  was  ever  so  strong  it  could  do  no 
more." 

The  boatswain  appeared  favorably  struck  with  the  un- 
answerable logic  embraced  in  the  remark,  and  made  no 
further  objection  to  the  rope. 

On  this  voyage  I  had  one  source  of  pleasure,  of  an  ele- 
vated character,  which  wras  denied  to  the  rest  of  my  ship- 
mates. This  was  my  attachment  to  books.  Before  I  left 
New  Orleans,  I  purchased  a  variety  of  second-hand  vol- 
umes ;  a  miscellaneous  collection,  which  enabled  me  to  pass 
many  pleasant  hours  on  our  passage  to  Havre,  and  at  the 
same  time  lay  in  a  stock  of  information  which  might 
prove  of  great  value  at  a  future  day. 

In  books  I  found  biographies  of  good  men,  whose  ex- 
ample fortified  my  mind  against  the  temptations  to  vice 
and  immorality,  which  beset  the  sailor  on  every  side. 
They  furnished  me  with  an  interesting  occupation  in  an 
idle  hour,  acted  as  a  solace  for  disappointment,  and  a  faith- 
ful friend  and  consoler  in  anxiety  and  trouble ;  inspired 
me  with  a  feeling  of  emulation,  and  bade  me  look  forward 
with  hope.  Many  is  the  hour  when,  after  a  hard  day's 
work,  or  an  exciting  scene  of  peril  or  suffering,  by  the  dim 
light  of  a  tallow  candle,  or  a  lamp  manufactured  by  my 
own  hands,  while  others  were  lamenting  their  hard  fate, 
or  pouring  out  their  indignation  in  unavailing  grumblings, 
I  have,  while  poring  over  a  book,  lost  all  sense  of  unhap- 
piness,  and  been  transported  far  away  to  other  and  hap- 
pier scenes ;  sometimes  exploring  with  Barrow  the  inhos- 
pitable wastes  of  Africa ;  accompanying  Christian  on  his 
journey  to  the  Celestial  City;  sympathizing  with  the  good 
Vicar  of  Wakefield  in  his  domestic  misfortunes ;  sharing 


388  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

the  disquietudes  of  Rasselas  in  the  "Happy  Valley;" 
tracing,  with  almost  breathless  interest,  the  career  of  some 
ancient  hero  whom  Plutarch  has  immortalized,  or  linuvr- 
ing  over  the  thrilling  adventures  and  perils  of  "  Sindbad 
the  Sailor." 

A  sailor  before  the  mast,  as  well  as  the  inmates  of  the 
cabin,  has  many  hours  on  every  voyage,  which  may  be, 
and  should  be,  devoted  to  reading  and  study.  When  a 
resident  of  the  forecastle,  I  have  by  my  example,  and  by 
urgent  appeals  to  the  pride,  the  ambition,  and  good  sense 
of  my  shipmates,  induced  them  to  cultivate  a  taste  for 
reading,  and  awakened  in  their  minds  a  thirst  for  infor- 
mation. Some  of  these  men,  by  dint  of  hard  study,  and 
a  determination,  even  at  a  late  day,  to  shake  off  all  profli- 
gate habits,  and  be  something  move  than  a  common  sailor, 
qualified  themselves  for  a  different  station,  and  eventually 
became  respectable  shipmasters  and  merchants. 

We  lost  one  of  our  crew  overboard,  on  this  passage,  in  a 
manner  somewhat  singular.  He  was  an  Italian,  called 
Antonio,  and  remarkable  for  a  love  of  cleanliness —  a  price- 
less virtue,  when  not  carried  to  excess.  He  was  continu- 
ally washing  his  face  and  hands,  as  if  to  get  rid  of  impuri- 
ties communicated  by  the  atmosphere.  One  Sunday  after- 
noon, with  a  strong  breeze  on  the  quarter,  the  brig  was 
reeling  it  off  at  the  rate  of  eight  or  nine  knots,  and  a 
rough  and  turbulent  sea  was  helping  her  along.  Notwith- 
standing the  wind  was  three  or  four  points  abaft  the  beam, 
Captain  Mott  insisted  on  carrying  main-topmast  and 
middle  staysails,  and  occasionally  when  the  vessel  was  a 
little  off  of  her  course,  the  main-topmast  staysail  sheet, 
which  was  fastened  to  a  cleat  in  the  main  deck,  would  give 
a  "slat,"  with  great  violence.  Antonio  had  just  left  the 
helm,  and,  according  to  his  usual  custom,  proceeded  to 
draw  a  bucket  of  water  from  alongside,  in  which  to  im- 
merse his  face  and  hands.  But  while  he  was  stooping,  in 
the  very  act  of  performing  his  ablutions,  the  brig,  through 


THE    GEXERAI.    ARMSTRONG.  389 

the  inattention  of  the  helmsman,  was  run  off  her  course 
nearly  before  the  wind,  the  staysails  were  becalmed  and 
the  main-topmast  staysail  sheet,  that  is,  the  rope  which 
kept  the  sail  in  its  proper  position,  gave  a  terrible  jerk, 
caught  the  unfortunate  Italian  behind,  lifted  him  from  his 
feet,  and  actually  tossed  him  over  the  gunwale.  The 
thing  was  so  sudden,  he  had  not  time  to  struggle,  or  even 
to  scream,  as  he  sank  beneath  the  billows,  while  the  brig 
swept  onward,  leaving  him  far  astern.  The  cry,  "  A  man's 
overboard ! "  was  instantly  raised  by  those  who  witnessed 
the  sad  event.  One  man  sprang  into  the  weather  main 
shrouds  in  order  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  poor  fellow  who 
became  a  martyr  to  cleanliness.  The  helm  was  put  down, 
the  brig  rounded  to,  and  sails  laid  aback.  But  attempts 
to  rescue  him  were  fruitless.  He  was  not  seen  after  he 
struck  the  water. 

After  having  been  about  forty-five  days  at  sea,  we  got 
sight  one  morning  of  "the  Caskets,"  in  the  middle  of  the 
English  Channel,  about  thirty  miles  west  of  Cape  La 
Hogue,  and  on  the  following  day  entered  the  harbor  of 
Havre,  the  seaport  of  Paris,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Seine. 


CHAPTER    XXXIY. 

THE     GENERAL     ARMSTRONG. 

NOTHTXG  remarkable  happened  during  our  stay  in 
Havre,  excepting  an  unpleasant  affair  in  which  our  good- 
humored  shipmate,  Jonas  Silvernail,  played  a  principal 
part.  The  master  of  an  English  brig,  an  ignorant  man, 
but  excessively  arrogant  and  presuming,  one  day  took 
some  of  our  men  to  task  on  the  quay,  accusing  them  of 
having  taken  a  portion  of  his  crew  to  a  grog-shop,  where 

33* 


SCO  JACK    I2T   THE    FORECASTLE. 

they  plied  them  with  liquor  until  they  were  drunk,  and 
then  left  them  alone  in  their  glory. 

Jonas,  in  behalf  of  the  crew  of  the  Casket,  stoutly  but 
respectfully  denied  the  correctness  of  the  statement,  so  far 
as  himself  or  his  shipmates  were  concerned,  and  was  about 
making  an  explanation,  which  must  have  been  satisfactory, 
when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  excited  Briton,  who  not 
only  gave  him  the  lie  direct,  but  went  so  far  as  to  define, 
in  coarse  and  profane  language,  the  particular  character 
of  the  lie. 

Jonas,  although  a  model  of  subordination  on  shipboard, 
nevertheless  possessed  the  spirit  of  a  man,  and  would  not 
brook  abuse  or  insolence  from  any  one  who  had  no  right- 
ful authority  over  him.  His  eye  sparkled,  his  lip  quivered, 
and  his  fingers  convulsively  contracted,  while  he  remarked, 
in  a  tone  somewhat  emphatic,  "  When  a  blackguard  gives 
a  gentleman  the  lie,  he  is,  of  course,  prepared  to  defend 
himself !  " 

Acting  upon  this  supposition  he  levelled  a  blow  at  the 
Englishman's  face,  which  laid  his  cheek  open  to  the  bone, 
and  stretched  him  on  the  wharf  in  double-quick  time, 
as  flat  as  a  halibut ! 

Here  was  a  pretty  business !  The  affair  looked  serious 
for  Jonas,  as  the  Englishman  swore  vengeance  against  the 
Yankee  ruffian,  if  there  was  any  law  or  justice  among  a 
frog-eating  people !  Jonas  was  arrested,  but  by  the  kind 
agency  of  Mr.  Beasley,  the  American  consul,  he  was 
relieved  from  restraint  on  payment  of  a  moderate  fine. 
The  choleric  Briton  was  taught  a  valuable  lesson,  and  in 
all  likelihood  put  a  curb  on  his  tongue  ever  afterwards 
when  talking  to  strangers,  especially  if  the  stranger  hap- 
pened to  be  a  Yankee! 

After  having  discharged  our  cargo  of  cotton,  we  sailed 
from  Havre  in  ballast.  We  encountered  a  strong  head 
wind  in  the  chops  of  the  Channel,  and  were  beating  about 
for  several  days.  One  night  we  were  steering  a  course 


THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.  891 

about  north-north-west,  under  single-reefed  topsails,  courses 
and  spanker,  with  the  wind  at  west,  while  the  fog  was  so 
thick  that  the  jib-boom  could  hardly  be  seen  from  the 
forecastle,  and  supposed  ourselves  at  least  thirty  miles  to 
the  southward  of  the  Scilly  Islands.  Jonas  and  myself, 
who  were  walking  the  main  deck,  while  the  boatswain 
was  leaning  lazily  against  the  quarter  rail,  and  the  captain 
and  mate  were  sleeping  in  their  berths  below,  were  star- 
tled by  a  dull,  moaning  sound,  which,  ever  and  anon, 
seemed  to  come  up  from  under  the  lee  bow.  The  noise 
became  more  distinct.  "What  can  it  be?"  said  I, 
alarmed. 

"I  know  it  now,"  exclaimed  Jonas.  "It  is  the  rote  of 
the  breakers  dashing  against  the  rocks,  and  we  must  be 
lively,  or  we  shall  soon  be  in  kingdom  come.  Boatswain ! " 
shouted  he,  "Breakers!  breakers  ahead  !  Call  up  the 
captain  ! "  and  hastening  forward  he  made  such  a  noise  on 
the  forecastle  as  to  rouse  out  all  hands,  who  rushed  on 
deck  marvellously  lightly  clad,  but  prepared  to  encounter 
some  mighty  evil. 

The  captain  was  awakened  by  the  word  "breakers,"  a 
word  which  sounds  ominous  in  a  sailor's  ears,  and  was  on 
deck  in  a  trice.  He  heard  the  rumbling  noise,  the  charac- 
ter of  which  could  not  be  mistaken.  "Ready  about !  "  he 
screamed.  "  Stations,  men  !  Hard  down  the  helm  !  " 

The  brig  came  up  into  the  wind,  the  sails  shivered,  but 
owing  to  the  head  sea  or  some  other  cause,  she  would  not 
come  round,  and  soon  gathered  stern  way.  But  Captain 
Mott  was  a  good  seaman.  "  Brace  round  the  head  yards ! " 
he  exclaimed.  "  Lower  away  the  spanker  peak ! " 

The  brig,  by  the  action  of  the  helm,  the  head  sails  being 
thrown  aback,  fell  off  rapidly  on  her  heel,  and  soon  gather- 
ing headway,  barely  cleared  the  dark  and  rugged  cliffs  of 
St.  Agnes  in  the  north,  which  now,  as  well  as  the  power- 
ful beacon  light  by  which  they  were  surmounted,  broke 
through  the  dense  fog. 


392  JACK    IX    THE    FORECAST!.!-:. 

It  was  a  narrow  escape.  Fifteen  minutes  more  would 
have  carried  us  among  the  sunken- rocks  and  ledges  which 
are  piled  together  in  admirable  confusion  on  the  south- 
west side  of  the  Scilly  Isles,  and  the  vessel  and  all  hands 
would  have  been  among  the  things  which  were. 

The  wind  came  round  to  the  eastward  on  the  following 
day,  and  we  shaped  our  course  across  the  Atlantic,  bound 
for  Savannah,  whither  we  arrived,  without  the  occurrence 
of  any  remarkable  incident,  about  the  first  of  May,  1817. 

Having  passed  a  couple  of  months  in  Savannah  a  few 
years  before,  I  was  aware  from  personal  inspection  of  the 
wretchedly  low  character  of  the  sailor  boarding  houses  in 
that  city;  and  I  shuddered  at  the  idea  of  passing  the  few 
days  or  weeks  of  my  sojourn  in  Savannah  at  one  of  these 
"  omnium  gatherums  "  of  intemperance  and  iniquity. 

I  gave  to  my  shipmates  such  a  graphic,  but  faithful, 
description  of  the  sailor  boai-ding  houses  in  Savannah, 
that  the  boatswain  of  the  brig,  with  Jonas  Silvern  ail  and 
William  Jones,  agreed  to  join  me  in  trying  to  secure 
quarters  of  a  character  somewhat  more  respectable  than 
the  dens  of  iniquity  frequented  by  sailors.  We  flattered 
ourselves  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  such  a 
boarding  house  as  we  wished,  knowing  there  were  many 
mechanics  at  that  time  in  Savannah,  temporary  residents, 
who  were  accommodated  with  board  in  well-regulated 
families  at  a  reasonable  rate,  and  we  saw  no  reason  why 
we  should  not  be  treated  with  equal  favor. 

Accordingly,  the  day  after  our  arrival  in  port,  having 
received  our  discharge,  we  carefully  removed  from  our 
hands  all  stains  of  tar,  rigged  ourselves  out  in  our  neatest 
apparel,  put  on  our  most  sober  and  demure  faces,  and 
started  off  on  a  cruise  after  a  boarding  house.  We  had 
received  some  desultory  information  from  persons  we  had 
fallen  in  with  about  the  wharves,  which  in  a  measure 
influenced  our  course. 

We  were  not  particularly  successful  in  our  quest.     The 


THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.  393 

simple  fact  which  we  could  not  deny,  that  "we  were 
sailors"  was  sufficient  to  bar  every  door  against  our 
entrance.  It  was  in  vain  we  represented  ourselves  as 
remarkably  staid  and  sober  sailors,  possessing  amiable  dis- 
positions, not  given  to  liquor  or  rowdyism,  and  in  search 
of  quiet  quarters  in  a  respectable  family. 

To  all  this  the  one  fatal  objection  was  opposed,  "we 
were  sailors"  and  of  course  could  not  reasonably  expect 
to  be  received  into  any  respectable  house.  No  faith  was 
given  to  our  professions  of  sobriety.  The  term  "  sailor " 
in  the  minds  of  those  good  people  was  synonymous  with 
"  blackguard  "  or  "  drunken  vagabond."  It  comprehended 
every  thing  which  was  vile  or  wicked.  After  applying  at 
more  than  a  dozen  different  places,  and  finding  the  esti- 
mate of  a  sailor's  character  every  where  the  same,  and  that 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule  in  this  case  were  not  allowed, 
we  reluctantly  abandoned  our  exploring  expedition,  dis- 
gusted and  mortified  at  finding  such  unfounded  prejudice 
existing  against  sailors,  whom  we  not  only  believed  to  be 
human  beings,  and  entitled  to  rights,  privileges,  and 
indulgences  as  such,  but  a  class  of  men  which  actually 
included  many  worthy,  honest,  well-behaved  individuals, 
as  well  as  those  of  an  opposite  character.  We  could  not 
but  doubt  the  policy  as  well  as  justice  of  a  line  of  conduct 
which  represses  every  effort  on  the  part  of  seafaring  men 
to  cultivate  self-respect,  and  elevate  themselves  in  the 
scale  of  society ;  a  line  of  conduct  which  is  calculated  to 
thrust  them  contemptuously  back,  and  plunge  them  deeper 
in  the  slough  from  which,  perhaps,  they  are  striving  to 
emerge. 

In  those  days  there  was  no  "Mariner's  House"  or 
"  Sailor's  Home  "  established  in  our  large  seaports  by  true 
philanthropists  for  the  benefit  of  seamen,  where  this  use- 
ful but  too  long  neglected  and  contemned  class  might  find 
a  quiet,  well-regulated,  and  respectable  house,  with  its 
doors  thrown  open  to  receive  them. 


394  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

We  returned,  crestfallen  and  disheartened,  to  the  brig, 
and  passed  another  night  in  the  forecastle ;  and  the  next 
morning,  being  compelled  to  find  an  asylum  on  shore,  we 
inspected  several  of  the  sailor  boarding  houses,  with  a 
view  to  select  the  least  objectionable  for  our  temporary 
home.  There  was  little  room  for  choice.  The  landlords 
were  all  swaggering  foreigners ;  their  rooms  were  filled 
with  a  dense  effluvia  arising  from  a  combination  of  odors, 
in  which  the  fumes  of  tobacco  and  rum  constituted  a 
prominent  part ;  and  drinking  grog,  playing  cards  and 
dominoes,  swearing,  quarrelling,  and  fighting  seemed  to 
be  the  principal  occupation  and  amusements  of  the  main 
portion  of  the  boarders. 

Such  were  the  scenes  I  was  destined  to  witness  in 
Savannah;  such  were  the  men  with  whom  I  was  com- 
pelled to  associate;  such  were  the  temptations  to  which  I 
was  subjected,  and  which  few  could  pass  through  un- 
scathed;  such  were  my  "schools  and  schoolmasters"  in 
early  life. 

After  much  hesitation  and  many  misgivings,  we  finally 
established  our  quarters  at  the  sign  of  the  "General 
Armstrong,"  which  was  kept  by  John  Hubbard,  a  tight 
little  Irishman,  a  regular  "  broth  of  a  boy,"  illiterate,  not 
being  able  to  write  his  name,  with  a  tongue  well  steeped 
in  blarney,  with  a  conscience  as  elastic  as  a  piece  of  India 
rubber,  and  a  consummate  adept  in  the  art  of  wheedling  a 
sailor  out  of  his  money. 

The  sign  which  was  placed  conspicuously  over  the  door 
of  this  boarding  house  was  a  popular  one,  and  well  calcu- 
lated to  attract.  It  was  not  intended  to  represent  General 
Armstrong  of  revolutionary  memory,  the  avowed  author 
of  the  treasonable  "  Newburg  Letters,"  but  the  American 
privateer  of  that  name,  riding  at  anchor,  and  in  the  act  of 
battling  with  the  British  boats  in  Fayal.  Hubbard  had 
been  a  petty  officer  in  the  privateer,  and  prided  himself  on 
the  part  which  he  took  in  that  memorable  affair,  and  on 


THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.  395 

which  he  dearly  loved  to  dwell,  to  the  great  admiration  of 
his  half-drunken  auditors. 

The  General  Armstrong  privateer  was  a  brig  belonging 
to  New  York,  mounting  a  battery  of  eight  long  nines  and  a 
twenty-four  pounder  amidships.  The  brig,  a  remarkably  fast 
sailing  vessel,  was  commanded  by  Samuel  C.  Reid,  a  young 
and  gallant  sailor,  who  displayed  much  courage,  activity, 
and  skill  in  harassing  the  enemies  of  his  country  on  the 
high  seas,  and  had  been  successful  in  capturing  many  val- 
uable British  ships. 

While  cruising  off  the  Western  Islands  in  the  autumn 
of  1814,  the  privateer  being  short  of  water,  to  procure  a 
supply  put  into  Fayal  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  Sep- 
tember. On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  three  English 
ships-of-war  arrived,  anchored  at  the  entrance  of  the  har- 
bor, and  received  from  the  pilots  and  fishermen  intelli- 
gence that  the  far-famed  American  privateer  General 
Armstrong  was  then  in  port,  and  lying  beneath  the  guns 
of  the  fortifications. 

Captain  Reid,  witnessing  the  arrival  of  tbese  ships,  did 
not  consider  himself  altogether  safe  from  attack.  He 
knew  that  his  vessel  was  particularly  obnoxious  to  the 
British,  who  would  be  likely  to  disregard  neutrality  laws, 
spare  no  pains,  and  overcome  almost  any  scruples  in  order 
to  insure  her  destruction ;  also,  that  Portugal  was  a  feeble 
power,  which  existed  only  by  the  sufferance  and  protection 
of  Great  Britain.  Therefore  Captain  Reid,  instead  of  re- 
lying on  international  law  as  a  barrier  against  aggression, 
determined  to  rely  on  himself  and  the  brave  men  with 
him;  and  when  the  British  ships  appeared  in  the  offing, 
he  commenced  making  vigorous  preparations  for  defence. 
As  soon  as  it  was  twilight  he  commenced  warping  his  ves- 
sel nearer  the  shore.  This  manoeuvre  was  seen  from  the 
decks  of  the  English  squadron,  which  consisted  of  the 
Plantagenet  ship-of-the-line,  the  Rota  frigate,  and  the 
Carnation  gun-brig;  and  four  boats  were  immediately  sent 


396  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

off,  filled  with  armed  men,  who  pulled  directly  towards  the 
privateer. 

But  Captain  Reid  was  watching  the  movements  of  the 
enemy.  He  ordered  his  men  to  pause  in  their  labors,  and 
stand  ready  to  give  their  visitors  a  warm  reception.  When 
the  boats  arrived  within  speaking  distance,  he  hailed,  but 
received  no  answer;  the  boats  pulled  on  in  gloomy  silence. 
He  hailed  again,  but  there  was  no  reply,  but  the  men  re- 
doubled their  efforts  at  the  oars.  Captain  Reid,  aware 
there  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  hailed  a  third  time,  ordering 
the  boats  to  keep  off,  or  he  would  fire  into  them.  The 
boats  kept  on.  The  word  was  given  to  "fire?  and  a  volley 
of  musketry  was  poured  into  the  densely  crowded  boats, 
causing  great  confusion  and  killing  and  wounding  a  large 
number  of  the  crews.  The  fire,  however,  was  returned  by 
the  British,  and  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  privateer  was 
severely  wounded  and  one  man  was  killed.  After  a  sharp, 
but  severe  contest,  in  which  the  enemy  made  desperate  at- 
tempts to  get  alongside,  the  boats  hauled  off  and  returned 
to  their  respective  ships. 

Captain  Reid  knew  this  was  only  the  beginning  of  the 
drama.  He  encouraged  his  men,  and  got  in  readiness  for 
a  more  serious  engagement.  He  moored  his  vessel  close 
to  the  shore,  loaded  his  large  guns  to  the  muzzle  with 
grape  and  canister,  and  every  musket  with  bullets  and 
buckshot.  His  men  were  all  on  deck  ready  and  eager  to 
meet  the  foe. 

The  moon  had  risen,  and  lighted  up  the  bay,  so  that  ob- 
jects could  be  distinctly  seen  at  a  considerable  distance. 
And  soon  after  midnight,  twelve  boats,  carrying  nearly 
four  hundred  men,  and  armed  with  carronades,  swivels, 
and  blunderbusses,  as  well  as  muskets,  pistols,  and  cut- 
lasses, left  the  squadron  and  pulled  directly  for  the  priva- 
teer. The  crisis  was  at  hand,  and  although  the  brave 
commander  of  the  privateer  knew  that  his  vessel  must 
eventually  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  unscrupulous  enemy, 
he  determined  to  defend  her  to  the  last. 


Attack  on  the  Gen.  Armstrong  Privateer.  —  p.  39?. 


THE    GENERAL    ARMSTRONG.  397 

A  fierce  and  desperate  engagement  ensued.  As  soon  as 
the  boats  came  within  range,  they  were  greeted  with  the 
contents  of  "long  Tom;"  and  the  nine  pounders  also  faith- 
fully performed  their  work.  The  guns  were  served  with 
almost  incredible  skill  and  activity,  and  aimed  with  the 
nicest  precision.  The  fire  was  returned  by  the  boats, 
although  it  was  evident  that  some  of  them  suffered  se- 
verely from  the  effects  of  the  first  broadside.  Others,  how- 
ever, dashed  alongside,  with  the  expectation  of  carrying 
the  privateer  by  boarding ;  but  here,  again,  they  were  dis- 
appointed. Pistols  and  muskets  flashed  from  every  port- 
hole, and  boarding-pikes  and  cutlasses,  wielded  by  strong 
hands,  presented  a  chevaux-de-frise  which  the  enemy 
could  not  overleap.  The  carnage  was  terrible;  the  contest 
lasted  over  half  an  hour,  and  resulted  in  the  total  defeat  of 
the  British,  who,  with  bull-dog  ferocity  and  obstinacy,  al- 
though foiled  in  their  desperate  effort  to  take  the  priva- 
teer, were  unwilling  to  abandon  the  enterprise,  and  were 
shot  and  hewn  down  by  scores.  Only  three  of  the  officers 
escaped ;  several  of  the  boats  were  destroyed,  and  two  of 
them,  after  the  action,  were  found  alongside  the  brig,  liter- 
ally filled  with  the  dead  and  dying ! 

The  boats  which  survived  the  conflict,  crushed  and  dis- 
comfited, pulled  slowly  back  to  their  ships,  bearing  with 
them  many  of  the  wounded.  Of  the  four  hundred  who  left 
the  ships  an  hour  and  a  half  before,  full  of  health,  high  in 
spirits,  and  eager  for  the  battle,  hardly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  returned  unharmed. 

The  attack  on  the  boats  by  Captain  Reid  and  his  brave 
men  was  so  sudden  and  overwhelming,  that  the  enemy, 
notwithstanding  the  convulsive  efforts  of  a  few,  seemed 
incapable  of  making  any  effective  resistance.  Instead  of 
being  the  attacking  party,  their  efforts  were  mainly  con- 
fined to  ineffectual  attempts  to  defend  themselves.  Thus, 
on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  the  loss  in  the  two  engage- 
ments was  only  two  killed  and  seven  wounded.  One  of 

84 


398  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

those  who  fell  was  Mr.  Williams,  of  New  York,  the  second 
lieutenant.  The  first  and  third  lieutenants  were  among 
the  wounded.  Thus,  early  in  the  action  Captain  Reid  was 
deprived  of  the  services  of  his  most  efficient  officers,  but 
he  was  equal  to  the  emergency,  and  his  cool  and  intrepid 
conduct  secured  the  victory. 

On  the  following  morning,  soon  after  daybreak,  the  Car- 
nation gun-brig  was  hauled  in  within  point  blank  gun-shot, 
and  opened  a  fire  on  the  General  Armstrong ;  but  the  gal- 
lant commander  of  the  privateer,  being  determined  to  sub- 
mit to  no  other  than  a  superior  force,  returned  the  fire 
with  his  long  twenty-four  pounder  so  effectually,  boring 
the  brig  through  and  through  at  every  shot,  that  she  was 
soon  glad  to  haul  off  to  avoid  being  sunk  at  her  anchors. 
Preparations  were  now  making  to  bring  in  the  frigate  ; 
and  aware  that  to  prolong  the  contest  would  be  worse  than 
useless,  Captain  Reid  ordered  the  brig's  masts  to  be  cut 
away,  a  hole  blown  through  her  bottom,  and  with  all  his 
men,  trunks,  chests,  and  baggage,  took  to  his  boats  and 
safely  reached  the  shore.  They  had  not  been  landed  fif- 
teen minutes  when  the  dismasted  sinking  vessel  was 
boarded  by  the  British  boats  without  resistance,  and  im- 
mediately set  on  fire.  Such  was  the  fate  of  the  General 
Armstrong  privateer ! 

It  is  perhaps  not  strange  that,  before  my  shipmates  and 
myself  had  been  a  week  at  the  boarding  house,  around 
whose  attractive  sign  clustered  such  patriotic  associations, 
Downes,  the  boatswain  of  the  Casket,  and  Jones  both  be- 
came acclimated  to  the  noxious  atmosphere  redolent  of 
alcohol  and  other  disgusting  compounds,  succumbed  to 
the  temptations  by  which  they  were  surrounded,  and 
drank  as  much  grog,  were  as  noisy  and  unruly,  and  as 
ready  for  a  quarrel  as  any  dissolute  old  Irishman  in  the 
whole  circle  of  Jim  Hubbard's  household.  Indeed  the 
boatswain,  a  young  fellow  possessed  of  many  excellent 
qualities,  and  who  had  made  a  resolution  to  reform  some 


THE    GENERAL    ARMSTRONG.  399 

bad  habits  in  which  he  had  indulged,  got  drunk  before  he 
had  been  three  days  an  inmate  of  the  establishment, 
quarrelled  with  an  English  sailor,  fought  with  him,  was 
severely  whipped  and  furnished  with  a  couple  of  magnifi- 
cent black  eyes.  So  true  is  the  sentiment,  beautifully  ex- 
pressed in  the  language  of  the  poet,  — 

"  Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen  ; 
But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  the  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace." 

The  generality  of  Jim  Hubbard's  boarders  were  what 
may  be  technically  termed  "  a  hard  set."  Among  them 
were  many  foreigners,  who  seemed  to  have  been  the  off- 
scourings of  their  native  countries,  and  whose  manners 
and  morals  had  not  been  improved  by  the  peculiar  disci- 
pline and  lessons  in  ethics  they  had  become  familiar  with 
on  board  English  men-of-war  or  Patriot  privateers.  In 
truth  they  were  a  band  of  roistering  blades,  and  by  day 
and  by  night,  when  not  dead  drunk,  were  restless,  noisy, 
vociferous,  and  terribly  prof'me.  Flush  with  their  money, 
and  acting  from  generous  impulses,  they  would  urge  a 
stranger  to  drink  with  them  in  good  fellowship,  and  if 
the  invitation  was  declined,  were  equally  ready  to  knock 
him  down  or  kick  him  into  the  street,  as  unworthy  the 
society  of  good  fellows. 

Whole  crews  came  to  the  house,  from  long  voyages, 
with  pockets  overflowing  with  cash.  They  were  received 
with  smiles  of  welcome  by  Hubbard,  and  the  treasures  of 
his  bar  were  placed  before  them.  At  the  proper  time  they 
were  told  by  their  obliging  landlord  that  it  was  a  praise- 
worthy custom  among  new  comers  to  "treat  all  hands." 
Then  commenced  a  course  of  unrestrained  dissipation, 
which  was  not  interrupted  so  long  as  their  money  held 
out.  They  became  uproarious,  and  took  a  strange  pleasure 
in  enacting  scenes,  which  should  never  be  witnessed  out 
of  Bedlam.  But  as  their  money  diminished  their  land- 


400  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

lord  gave  them  the  cold  shoulder ;  their  love  of  frolic  and 
fighting  was  sensibly  lessened,  and  their  spirits  at  last  fell 
to  zero  on  being  told  by  their  sympathizing  host,  who  kept 
a  careful  watch  over  their  finances,  and  kindly  aided  them 
in  spending  their  money  by  making  fictitious  charges,  and 
exacting  double  prices  for  what  they  actually  had,  that 
their  cash  was  all  gone  ;  that  it  was  not  his  custom  to  give 
credit,  and  the  sooner  they  found  a  ship,  and  cleared  out, 
the  better. 

Such,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  was  the  character  of  most  of 
the  sailor  landlords  in  "days  lang  syne."  And  notwith- 
standing the  efforts  which  have  since  been  made  to  elevate 
the  condition  of  the  sailor,  and  provide  him  with  a  com- 
fortable house  on  shore,  I  greatly  fear  the  race  is  not  ex- 
tinct ;  and  that  Jack,  even  in  these  days,  often  becomes 
the  prey  of  one  of  these  crafty,  plausible,  smiling,  unprin- 
cipled scoundrels,  who  hands  him  a  bottle  of  rum  with  one 
hand  and  picks  his  pocket  with  the  other ;  who,  under  the 
guise  of  friendship,  bears  towards  the  sailor  the  same  kind 
of  affection  he  is  prepared  to  expect  from  the  man-eating 
shark  which  is  seen  prowling  round  a  ship.  If  he  falls 
into  the  clutches  of  either  he  is  sure  to  be  taken  in  and 
done  for. 

But  among  Jim  Hubbard's  boarders,  there  were  a  very 
few  of  a  different  character  from  those  I  have  described ; 
some  who  kept  sober,  and  had  a  due  regard  to  the  rules  of 
propriety.  These,  sometimes,  sought  to  restore  order  out 
of  chaos,  but  soon  abandoned  the  attempt  as  a  bootless 
task,  and  bowed  submissively  to  the  storm  whose  force 
they  could  not  arrest.  Among  these  was  a  young  man 
named  Catlin.  He  was  rather  below  than  above  the  me- 
dium size,  but  had  a  broad  chest  and  a  muscular  frame. 
He  was  evidently  a  thorough  sailor;  his  countenance  was 
open  and  intelligent;  he  was  quiet  and  unobtrusive  in  his 
manners,  and  often  seemed  disgusted  with  the  unruly  con- 
duct of  the  major  part  of  the  boarders,  some  of  whom  had 


THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.  401 

been  shipmates  with  him  in  a  former  voyage.  Catlin  was 
troubled  with  an  impediment  in  his  speech,  and  it  was 
doubtless  owing  to  this,  as  well  as  to  his  sober  habits,  that 
his  voice  was  seldom  heard  amid  the  vocal  din  which  shook 
the  walls  of  the  General  Armstrong. 

One  morning  a  large  ship  arrived  in  Savannah  from 
Boston,  with  a  choice  crew,  consisting  of  the  boatswain 
and  ten  fine-looking,  athletic  young  men.  After  the  ship 
was  madje  fast  at  the  wharf,  and  the  decks  cleared  up, 
the  crew  received  permission  to  go  ashore ;  and,  neatly 
rigged  and  headed  by  the  boatswain,  a  splendid  looking, 
symmetrically  built  native  of  Connecticut,  who  stood  six 
feet  two  inches  in  his  stockings,  and  wore  a  feather  in  his 
hat  like  a  Highland  ch'eftain,  they  paraded  through  sev- 
eral of  the  streets  of  Savannah,  singing,  laughing,  and 
cheering,  bent  on  a  regular  frolic.  They  occasionally 
stopped  at  hospitable  houses,  where  "for  a  consideration" 
they  could  be  accommodated  with  liquor  to  assuage  thirst 
and  enliven  their  already  lively  spirits. 

It  was  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  this  jovial 
crew  came  to  Jim  Hubbard's  boarding  house,  entered  the 
public  room,  and  called  for  something  to  drink.  Some  of 
these  men  were  disposed  to  be  quarrelsome,  and  were  in- 
solent to  the  landlord  ;  clearly  wishing  to  provoke  a  fight ; 
and  a  considerable  number  of  the  boarders  instantly  threw 
off  their  jackets,  ready  to  take  the  part  of  their  host. 
The  parties  being  nearly  equal,  there  was  a  very  distinct 
prospect  of  a  neat  little  row,  or  a  regular  pounding 
match. 

Just  as  the  parties  were  coming  to  blows  the  boatswain 
interposed,  requesting  his  shipmates  to  keep  quiet  and 
close  their  clamshells ;  and  then  in  an  arrogant  and  defiant 
tone,  stretching  himself  to  his  full  height,  he  exclaimed, 
"  If  there  is  any  fighting  to  be  done  here,  I  am  the  man  to 
do  it."  And,  with  a  dash  of  that  spirit  of  chivalry  which 
animated  the  Paladins  of  old,  he  added,  "  I  challenge  any 

34* 


402  JACK    IN"    THE    FORECASTLE. 

man  in  the  house  to  step  into  the  street,  and  face  me  in  a 
regular  boxing  match." 

His  large  stature,  big  whiskers,  insolent  tone,  and  mena- 
cing gestures  were  calculated  to  inspire  awe,  and  those  who 
had  shown  themselves  most  eager  to  take  part  in  the  melee, 
shrank  instinctively  from  the  idea  of  meeting  this  son  of 
Anak  in  single  combat.  But  Catlin,  the  meek-looking,  quiet, 
inoffensive,  stuttering  Catlin,  who  had  been  an  attentive 
looker-on  without  evincing  any  disposition  to  take  part  in 
the  proceedings,  no  sooner  heard  the  challenge,  so  vain- 
gloriously  given,  than  he  bounded  from  his  seat  in  a  corner 
of  the  room,  and  stood  before  the  doughty  champion. 

"  I  ca-ca-ca-nt  stand  th-th-at,"  said  Catlin,  his  eyes  flash- 
ing with  indignation.  "  I  am  your  m-m-man ! " 

The  affair  became  interesting.  A  ring  was  immediately 
formed  in  front  of  the  boarding  house,  into  which  the 
champions  of  the  respective  parties,  denuded  of  all  un- 
necessary covering,  and  each  attended  by  his  second,  en- 
tered. The  crew  of  the  ship,  the  boarders  of  the  General 
Armstrong,  and  the  inmates  of  various  boarding  houses  in 
the  vicinity,  formed  quite  a  numerous  body  of  spectators. 
The  combatants  very  properly  dispensed  with  the  absurd 
custom  of  shaking  hands  before  they  came  to  blows.  Al- 
ter glowering  at  each  other  for  a  moment,  they  went  vig- 
orously to  work.  The  boatswain  seemed  determined  to 
demolish  his  puny  antagonist  at  once  by  some  well- 
directed  blows,  and  might  possibly  have  succeeded  if  the 
blows  had  taken  effect.  But  Catlin  parried  or  avoided 
them  with  surprising  skill  and  agility,  until  the  boatswain 
losing  patience,  grasped  his  antagonist  in  his  sinewy  arms, 
and  after  a  brief  struggle,  Catlin  was  thrown  heavily  upon 
his  back. 

He  rose  from  the  earth,  like  a  second  Antaeus,  with  re- 
newed vigor,  and  when  the  boatswain  attempted  to  repeat 
the  operation,  Catlin  dealt  him  a  blow  in  the  body  which 
fairly  lifted  him  from  his  feet,  and,  doubling  him  up,  dropped 
him  motionless  on  the  ground. 


THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.  403 

By  the  aid  of  his  second,  the  boatswain  was  soon  again 
on  his  feet.  The  fight  was  renewed,  and  continued  with 
but  little  cessation  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  during 
which  time  Catlin  had  been  twice  thrown,  but  had  received 
no  visible  injury ;  and  the  boatswain's  features  had  been 
knocked  out  of  all  shape,  and  he  had  been  several  times 
felled  to  the  earth  by  the  terrible  blows  given  by  his  an- 
tagonist. His  endurance  was  wonderful ;  he  submitted  to 
his  pounding  like  a  hero,  but  he  was  rapidly  losing  strength; 
was  evidently  suffering  much  from  pain,  and  another  round 
would  probably  hav?  finished  the  fierce  contest,  crowned 
Catlin  with  the  victor's  wreath,  and  led  to  a  general  tu- 
mult and  row,  when  some  new  actors  entered  on  the  scene 
and  changed  the  order  of  the  performances. 

These  actovs  appeared  in  the  guise  of  a  squad  of  police 
officers,  the  city  patrol,  who  had  received  intelligence  of 
the  row.  They  broke  through  the  ring,  without  regard 
to  ceremony,  and  made  a  dash  at  the  men  who  were  striv- 
ing so  hard  to  maul  one  another.  The  boatswain  unable  to 
resist  or  flee,  was  easily  captured,  and  also  his  second. 
But  Catlin,  having  heard  the  cry  of  "the  watch!  the 
watch ! "  as  these  vigilant  preservers  of  the  public  peace 
broke  through  the  ring,  gave  his  antagonist  a  parting  blow 
which  he  long  remembered,  forced  his  way  through  or  leaped 
over  the  dense  throng  which  obstructed  his  progress,  and 
with  the  speed  of  a  race  horse  rushed  into  the  house,  and 
almost  before  the  officers  of  the  law  were  aware  of  his  es- 
cape, he  had  donned  his  garments,  and  without  a  scratch 
on  his  pei-son,  mingled  unsuspected  with  the  throng  of 
spectators.  The  boatswain,  notwithstanding  the  woful 
plight  he  was  in,  for  he  was  dreadfully  punished,  was 
marched  off  to  the  guard  house,  accompanied  by  his  faith- 
ful second,  and  on  the  following  day  was  mulcted  in  an 
exemplary  fine  for  disturbing  the  peace. 

The  most  singular  battle  between  two-legged  brutes 
that  I  ever  beheld,  was  fought  one  day  between  two  stout 


404  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

negroes  in  the  neighborhood  of  my  boarding  house  in 
Savannah.  They  had  cherished  a  grudge  against  eacli 
other  for  some  time,  and  accidentally  meeting,  a  war  of 
words  ensued,  which  attracted  a  crowd  of  spectators,  who 
kindly  used  all  possible  efforts  to  induce  them  to  break 
the  peace,  in  which  charitable  enterprise  they  finally  suc- 
ceeded. 

Much  to  my  surprise,  and  greatly  to  the  amusement 
of  the  bystanders,  the  darkies  made  no  use  of  their  fists, 
neither  did  they  grasp  each  other  by  the  waist,  or  resort  to 
the  worse  than  savage  practice  of  gouging.  They  retreated 
from  the  spot  where  they  had  been  standing,  until  the  space 
between  them  would  measure  some  ten  or  twelve  paces,  a 
good  duelling  distance,  and  then  instead  of  throwing  tom- 
ahawks or  javelins  at  each  other's  heads,  or  discharging  bul- 
lets of  lead  from  the  mouths  of  pistols  or  blunderbusses, 
they  bowed  down  their  heads,  as  if  overcome  with  humility, 
and  rushed  at  each  other  with  inconceivable  fury. 

Like  knights  of  ancient  days,  they  met  half  way  in  the 
lists  :  but  instead  of  shivering  their  spears  right  manfully, 
their  heads  came  in  contact,  like  a  collision  between  two 
locomotives, making  a  noise  like  a  clap  of  thunder.  As  they 
rose  from  the  ground  from  which  they  were  both  thrown 
by  the  violence  of  the  shock,  fire  seemed  actually  to  flash 
from  their  eyes,  and  they  shook  their  heads  from  shoulder 
to  shoulder  for  several  seconds,  apparently  to  know  if  all 
was  right  within. 

The  result  being  satisfactory,  they  retreated  a  short  dis- 
tance, not  so  far  as  at  first,  and  again  tried  the  terrible  ex- 
periment of  seeing  which  head  was  the  hardest.  After 
giving  several  of  these  practical  illustrations  of  the  noble 
art  of  butting,  in  a  fashion  that  would  have  cracked,  crushed 
and  demolished  the  thickest  craniums  belonging  to  the  Cau- 
casian family,  but  which  seemed  to  produce  little  effect  on 
these  hard-headed  sons  of  sires  born  on  the  banks  of  the 
Niger,  one  of  the  belligerent  parties  watched  an  opportu- 


VOYAGE    TO    GOTTENBURG.  405 

nity  when  his  opponent  was  off  his  guard,  dexterously 
evaded  the  favor  intended  for  him,  and  drove  his  own  head 
with  tremendous  force  against  the  bosom  of  his  antagonist. 
This  of  course  finished  the  engagement,  for  the  poor 
fellow  was  thrown  backwards  with  violence  to  the  ground, 
where  he  remained  for  some  time  senseless,  while  the  grin- 
ning victor  received  the  congratulations  of  his  friends. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

VOYAGE     TO     GOTTENBURG. 

I  PASSED  nearly  three  weeks  in  Savannah  at  Jim  Hub- 
bard's  boarding  house,  mingling  freely  with  the  different 
characters  who  frequented  that  establishment,  making  my 
observations  on  men  and  things;  and  if  at  times  I  felt  humil- 
iated and  uncomfortable,  I  solaced  myself  by  the  reflection 
that  my  sojourn  in  that  place  would  be  brief,  and  in  the 
mean  time  would  open  to  my  inspection  a  new  chapter  in 
the  book  of  life  ;  and  being  constitutionally  of  a  hopeful 
disposition,  and  seldom  troubled  with  despondency,  instead 
of  suffering  my  thoughts  to  dwell  on  present  perplexities, 
I  looked  forward  to  more  prosperous  scenes  and  happier 
times. 

At  length  I  found  an  opportunity  to  quit  Savannah,  of 
which  I  shall  ever  retain  a  vivid  recollection,  by  shipping 
before  the  mast  in  a  good  wholesome-looking  brig,  known 
as  the  Joseph,  of  Boston,  and  bound  to  Gottenburg,  with 
a  cargo  of  tobacco. 

The  name  of  the  brig  was  not  a  very  attractive  one,  but 
I  had  learned  long  before  that  the  names  of  merchant  ves- 
sels, being  bestowed  according  to  the  taste,  fancy,  or  whim 
of  the  owner,  should  never  be  regarded  as  indicative  of 


406  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

character,  any  more  than  the  names  of  individuals.  The 
first  vessel  I  sailed  in,  although  named  after  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  swift  fish  that  swims  the  ocean,  the  dolphin,  was 
one  of  the  ugliest  and  dullest  sailing  crafts  that  ever  floated 
on  salt  water. 

Some  ship-owners  have  a  great  partiality  to  animals ; 
hence  we  find  noble  ships  bearing  the  names  of  creatures 
of  every  description,  from  the  most  ferocious  beast  to  the 
most  unsightly  reptile.  Other  ships  carry  on  their  sterns 
the  names  of  heroes  and  heroines ;  gods  and  goddesses ; 
satyrs,  nymphs,  civilians,  poets,  artists,  statesmen,  and  dem- 
agogues; of  kings,  warriors,  buccaneers,  philanthropists,  and 
brigands.  It  is  thus  we  count  among  our  ships  a  Hercules 
and  a  Joan  of  Arc ;  with  Apollos,  Minervas,  Canovas,  Ho- 
garths,  John  Howards,  and  Robin  Hoods,  with  a  dense 
sprinkling  of  Mammoths  and  Mosquitoes,  Tigers  and  Hum- 
ming Birds,  Whales  and  Butterflies,  Nondescripts,  Demons, 
Volcanoes  and  Icebergs. 

Some  names  of  ships  are  ingenious  and  quaint,  others 
commonplace  or  ridiculous ;  some  are  expressed  in  a  phrase 
consisting  of  a  few  words,  others  in  a  word  of  one  syllable, 
and  sometimes  of  one  letter.  Thus  we  have  the  Ino,  and 
the  Guess ;  awkward  names  to  repeat  when  asked,  "What 
is  the  name  of  that  ship  ?  "  and  the  "  Catch  me  if  you  can," 
and  the  "  What  d'ye  think  'tis  like  ?  "  which,  by  their  re- 
spective godfathers,  are  thought  to  be  extremely  witty. 
Thus  we  have  the  "Ay,  ay,  sir,"  the  "Tom,"  the  "A 
No.  1,"  the  "Tallyho,"  and  the  "  W." 

During  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain  two  privateers 
were  built  by  the  same  individuals,  and  were  intended  to 
cruise  in  company;  they  were  called  the  "United  we  stand," 
and  the  "  Divided  we  fall."  A  number  of  years  since  three 
large  and  elegant  ships  constituted  a  line  of  English  pack- 
ets between  Liverpool  and  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina. 
They  were,  with  commendable  taste,  named  after  three  cel- 
ebrated poems  by  three  distinguished  British  poets,  the 


VOYAGE    TO    GOTTENBURG.  407 

"  Lalla  Rookh,"  the  "  Corsair,"  and  "  Marmion."  An  opu- 
lent merchant  in  Rhode  Island,  having  been  repeatedly 
disappointed  in  his  wish  to  have  a  male  descendant, 
although  he  was  the  father  of  half  a  dozen  cherry-cheeked 
girls,  gave  the  name  of  "  Boy  "  to  a  ship  of  his,  which  was 
launched  a  few  weeks  after  the  birth  of  his  youngest 
daughter.  This  ship  was  a  fortunate  one,  and  a  great  fa- 
vorite of  the  owner,  but  never  arrived  at  man's  estate,  con- 
tinuing "a  boy"  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

Some  ship-owners  give  to  their  vessels  names  of  indi- 
viduals distinguished  for  talent  or  worth,  or  who  have 
served  their  country  nobly  by  sea  or  by  land.  Some  bestow 
on  their  ships  those  names  that  are  dearest  to  them ;  those 
of  their  sweethearts,  their  wives,  their  children,  brethren, 
sisters,  or  friends,  as  the  case  may  be.  Thus  we  have  the 
"  Three  Sons,"  « Ten  Brothers,"  "  Four  Sisters,"  «  Sally 
Anne,"  "Aunt  Hitty,"  and  "Huldah  and  Judy;"  and  thus 
we  may  account  for  the  euphonious  name  of  a  vessel,  once 
belonging  to  Windsor,  in  Virginia,  the  "  Jonathan  Jacocks." 

Some  years  ago  two  Boston  merchants  were  engaged 
in  building  a  ship  for  the  freighting  business.  When  fin- 
ished, there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the 
selection  of  a  name.  One  proposed  the  name  of  a  distin- 
guished southern  statesman,  Mr.  Poinsett;  the  other,  an 
old  shipmaster,  remonstrated  against  giving  the  ship  the 
name  of  any  living  person;  and  he  carried  his  point.  "The 
man  you  mention,"  said  he,  with  energy  and  emphasis,  "  is 
a  good  fellow  enough  now ;  but  before  two  years,  he  may 
change  his  politics,  or  do  some  other  shabby  act  that  will 
stamp  his  name  with  infamy.  And  then  how  foolish  we 
shall  look  when  hailing  our  ship.  No !  never  while  you 
live,  call  your  ship,  or  your  child,  after  any  living  great 
man ;  but  take  the  name  of  some  one  whose  excellence  is 
vouched  for  by  a  tombstone." 

A  line  of  packet  ships  was  projected,  and  in  part  estab- 
lished some  thirty-five  years  ago,  between  Boston  and  Liv- 


408  JACK   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

erpool,  by  some  public-spirited  merchants.  The  project, 
however,  after  a  time  was  abandoned.  Three  new  and 
beautiful  ships  were  built  for  this  enterprise,  and  plied  reg- 
ularly between  the  two  ports;  they  were  named  the  Emer- 
ald, the  Topaz,  and  the  Amethyst.  If  the  undertaking  hud 
been  successful,  other  ships  would  have  been  added  with 
names  of  a  similar  stamp,  as  the  Diamond,  the  Ruby,  the 
Coral,  or  the  Pearl. 

The  government  of  the  United  States  have,  for  many 
years,  adopted  the  plan  of  naming  ships-of-the-line  after 
the  different  states  in  the  Union,  the  frigates  after  the  rivers, 
and  the  sloops  of  war  after  the  principal  cities ;  thus  we 
have  the  Vermont,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  &c.,  —  the  Brandy- 
wine,  Raritan,  Merrimac,  &c.,  —  and  the  Jamestown,  Ports- 
mouth, Hartford,  &c.  As  no  more  ships-of-thc-line  will 
probably  be  constructed,  comparatively  few  of  the  states 
will  receive  the  honor  originally  intended. 

The  introduction  of  large  clipper  built  ships,  within  a 
a  few  years,  has  been  attended  with  a  new  and  distinct  class 
of  names,  some  of  which  are  of  a  decidedly  poetical  char- 
acter, and  fill  the  largest  speaking  trumpet  to  its  utmost 
capacity ;  thus  the  ocean  is  traversed  in  every  direction  by 
"Winged  Racers,"  "Flying  Arrows,"  "Sparkling  Seas," 
"Shooting  Stars,"  "Foaming  Waves,"  "White  Squalls," 
"  Sovereigns  of  the  Seas,"  and  "  Thunder  Showers ; "  and 
we  may  soon  see  launched  the  "Almighty  Dollar." 

The  brig  Joseph  was  commanded  by  Ezra  Allen,  a  very 
worthy,  well-meaning  man,  of  moderate  capacity,  and  an 
indifferent  sailor.  The  mate,  Mr.  Bowen,  was  an  energetic, 
down-east  Yankee,  with  a  drawl  as  long  as  the  deep  sea  line, 
and  almost  as  much  twisted.  He  was  one  of  those  queer 
mortals,  manufactured  nowhere  but  in  New  England,  who, 
restless,  inquisitive,  ingenious,  and  bold,  can  readily  adapt 
themselves  to  any  situation,  and,  under  a  very  raw  and  green 
exterior,  conceal  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  practical  good 
sense  and  available  intelligence  on  almost  every  subject.  Mr. 


VOYAGE    TO    GOTTENBURG.  409 

Bowen,  although  deferential  in  his  deportment  towards  the 
captain,  and  ever  treating  him  with  a  great  show  of  respect, 
was  in  reality  master  of  the  brig ;  his  advice  being  solicit- 
ed on  the  most  trivial  occasion,  and  every  suggestion  he 
made  in  relation  to  the  management  of  the  vessel  was 
eagerly  seized  upon  by  the  captain.  Indeed,  Bowen  was  a 
model  of  a  mate ;  industrious,  economical,  and  faithful,  treat- 
ing the  crew  with  kindness  and  consideration,  yet  exacting 
their  full  quota  of  labor.  No  "bread  of  idleness"  was 
consumed  where  he  had  the  direction  of  affairs.  Under 
his  management  there  was  perfect  subordination,  without 
the  necessity  of  resorting  to  heavers  and  handspikes  as  a 
means  of  enforcing  authority. 

The  second  mate,  Mr.  Conners,  was  a  little,  weasel-faced 
man,  of  uncertain  extraction,  who  had  a  great  idea  of  his 
importance,  and  like  other  mates  I  have  seen,  bustled  about 
the  decks,  as  if  to  make  up  in  noise  and  bustle  deficiencies 
in  merit ;  forgetting  that  a  quiet,  decided,  straightforward 
manner  is  more  effective  in  enforcing  authority,  and  estab- 
lishing discipline,  than  the  roughest  language  breathed 
through  iron  lungs.  We  had  but  a  brief  opportunity  to 
test  his  worth,  for,  on  the  second  day  after  leaving  port, 
Mr.  Conners  was  attacked  with  illness,  stricken  down  and 
confined  to  his  state-room,  where  he  lay,  suffering  much 
pain,  and  uttering  moans  of  a  character  not  unfamiliar  to 
my  ears.  The  chief  mate  came  on  deck  while  I  was  at 
the  helm,  and  in.  answer  to  my  inquiries,  gave  me  the  par- 
ticulars of  his  illness. 

"  Mr.  Bowen,"  said  I,  "that  man  has  got  the  yellow  fever, 
and  it  is  a  severe  case.  It  will  probably  go  hard  with 
him." 

"Do  you  think  so,  Hawser?"  said  Mr.  Bowen,  slowly 
drawling  out  his  words ;  "  well,  I  don't  know  but  you  are 
more  than  half  right.  There  have  been  some  deaths  from 
yellow  fever  in  Savannah  already  this  season,  and  who  knows 
but"  —  and  turning  to  the  captain,  who  at  this  moment 

35 


410  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

came  on  deck,  carelessly  handling  his  toothpick,  he  ex- 
claimed, "  Captain  Allen,  Mr.  Conners  has  got  the  yellow 
fever!" 

The  captain  started  back,  aghast,  at  this  terrible  an- 
nouncement. His  face  was  as  white  as  a  sheet.  "  The  yel- 
low fever,  Mr.  Bowen!  God  forbid!  What  makes  you 
think  so?" 

"  Why,"  replied  the  mate,  "  the  symptoms  are  pre- 
cisely those  of  yellow  fever ;  and  you  know  there  were 
some  fatal  cases  among  the  shipping  before  we  left 
Savannah." 

"That's  true,  Mr.  Bowen  —  true  as  a  book.  Perhaps 
it  is  the  yellow  fever.  O  Lord  !  the  yellow  fever  on 
board  the  Joseph !  What  shall  we  do,  Mr.  Bowen  ?  Had 
we  not  better  put  back  ?  Who  knows  whose  turn  it  may 
be  next  ?  The  yellow  fever !  Why,  this  is  dreadful ! " 

And  the  yellow  fever  it  proved  to  be.  The  unfor- 
tunate man  was  seized  with  delirium  in  less  than  twelve 
hours  after  he  was  attacked,  and  died  on  the  following 
day.  The  captain  was  terribly  frightened,  and  was  half 
disposed  to  make  for  the  nearest  port  and  resign  com- 
mand of  the  brig.  But  Mr.  Bowen  succeeded  in  calming 
his  fears,  and  convinced  him,  that  by  sprinkling  the  cabin 
and  forecastle  freely  with  vinegar,  and  burning  brimstone, 
tobacco-leaves,  and  tar  several  hours  in  a  day  for  several 
successive  days,  the  infected  atmosphere  would  be  ren- 
dered pure  and  innoxious.  The  experiment  was  tried ; 
and  for  more  than  a  week  the  captain,  to  the  great  annoy- 
ance of  the  sailors,  was  every  day  busy  in  devising  means 
of  salutary  fumigation,  and  carrying  them  into  effect,  or, 
in  other  words,  trying  to  drive  out  one  poison  by  intro- 
ducing another  a  hundred  times  more  offensive  to  our 
olfactories,  and  attended,  if  possible,  with  more  unpleasant 
associations. 

We  pursued  our  course  towards  Gottenburg;  steering 
nearly  in  the  direction  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  passing  to  the 


VOYAGE    TO    GOTTEXBURG.  411 

southward  of  the  Bank  of  Newfoundland,  and  then  standing 
away  to  the  northward  and  eastward,  with  a  view  to  pass 
north  of  Scotland  and  enter  the  Skager-rack  through  the 
broad  passage  which  separates  the  Orkneys  from  the  Shet- 
land Islands.  On  the  passage  we  fell  in  with  the  little 
islet,  or  huge  rock,  known  as  Rockal,  which  lies  almost 
in  mid-ocean,  being  about  two  hundred  miles  west  of  the 
coast  of  Scotland.  This  rock  is  only  a  few  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  rises  abruptly  to  a  height  eighty  or  a 
hundred  feet.  It  is  craggy  and  precipitous,  and  is  the 
resort  of  seals,  and  myriads  of  birds,  as  osprays,  gulls, 
and  gannets,  which  abound  in  that  part  of  the  ocean, 
and  there,  undisturbed  by  the  presence  of  man,  lay  their 
eggs  and  rear  their  young.  Rockal  has  the  appearance, 
when  first  seen,  of  a  large  ship  under  sail,  and  is  of  a  dark 
gray  color,  being  covered  in  some  parts,  probably  to  the 
depth  of  many  feet,  with  birdlime,  or  guano,  the  accu- 
mulation of  ages.  But  as  this  rock  is  exposed  to  the  pelt- 
ings  of  the  pitiless  storms,  which  are  frequent  in  this  part 
of  the  world,  and  is  subject  to  the  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold,  it  is  possible  that  the  rich  beds  of  guano  with  which 
it  is  covered  are  not  of  the  best  quality ;  besides,  as  it  can 
boast  of  no  bay  or  nook  in  which  a  vessel,  or  even  a  boat, 
can  ride  in  safety,  but  is  exposed  on  every  side  to  the 
constant  succession  of  waves  rolling  onward  eternally 
across  the  ocean,  but  not  always  in  the  same  direction, 
forbidding  the  landing  of  any  human  being  on  its  craggy 
sides,  its  treasures,  however  valuable,  will  probably  remain 
undisturbed  forever. 

This  restlessness  of  the  ocean,  creating  an  undulating 
surface,  even  during  long-continued  calms,  excites  the 
wonder  of  all  who,  never  having  been  abroad  upon  the 
waters,  imagine  its  surface  is  always  smooth  and  un- 
rufHed  unless  disturbed  by  a  gale  of  wind.  This  "tramp 
of  the  ocean  waves"  is  beautifully  described  by  Charles 
H.  Brown,  one  of  the  'v  Bowdoin  Poets  "  :  — 


412  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

"Roll  on,  old  Ocean,  dark  and  deep ! 

For  thee  there  is  no  rest. 
Those  giant  waves  shall  never  sleep, 

That  o'er  thy  billowy  breast 
Tramp  like  the  march  of  conquerors, 

Nor  cease  their  choral  hymn 
Till  earth  with  fervent  heat  shall  melt, 

And  lamps  of  heaven  grow  dim." 

The  next  land  we  fell  in  with  was  Fair  Isle,  which  lies 
about  half  way  between  the  Shetland  and  the  Orkney 
Islands,  being  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Sumburgh 
Head,  the  southern  extremity  of  the  principal  of  the  Shet- 
land Islands.  Fair  Isle,  as  is  indeed  the  case  with  all 
these  islands  which  are  susceptible  of  cultivation,  is  in- 
habited by  a  rude  and  hardy  race  of  beings ;  the  men 
being  engaged  a  large  portion  of  the  time  in  the  ling  and 
cod  fishery,  which  is  extensively  carried  on  in  this  part 
of  the  world.  Taking  advantage  of  their  locality  in  mid- 
channel,  the  boatmen  from  Fair  Isle  also  board  vessels 
which  pass  to  and  fro,  going  "north  about,"  and  exchange 
fish  and  a  slender  variety  of  vegetables  for  tobacco  and 
rum ;  those  articles,  so  unnecessary  to  happiness  or  com- 
fort, being  greedily  coveted  by  the  rude  and  semi-bar- 
barous inhabitants  of  those  regions,  who  also,  be  it  said 
to  their  credit,  will  not  object  to  receive  a  dozen  of  bis- 
cuit, a  piece  of  beef  or  pork,  or  a  goodly  portion  of  any 
other  palatable  article  of  food. 

We  were  boarded  by  two  of  these  boats  from  Fair 
Isle,  well  filled  with  stalwart  and  sturdy  beggars;  and 
dealing  with  such  a  man  as  Captain  Allen,  good  natured 
and  wanting  in  decision  and  energy,  their  solicitations  for 
favors  almost  took  the  shape  of  peremptory  demands,  and 
the  brig  was  virtually  laid  under  a  heavy  contribution. 
Some  of  the  most  bold  and  importunate  visited  the  fore- 
castle, and  manifested  such  an  inquisitive  and  rapacious 
spirit  in  their  quest  after  tobacco,  that  we  were  provoked 
to  treat  them  in  a  manner  most  inhospitable,  and  drive 
them  on  deck. 


VOYAGE    TO    GOTTENBURG.  413 

Proceeding  across  the  head  of  the  North  Sea,  and 
running  for  the  "Naze  of  Norway,"  the  weather  being 
pleasant  and  the  sea  smooth,  I  persuaded  Mr.  Bowen  to 
throw  a  fishing-line  over  the  stern  and  let  it  trail,  with 
the  expectation  of  catching  some  mackerel.  We  suc- 
ceeded in  capturing  several  of  those  excellent  fish,  and 
also  two  or  three  gar-fish;  a  kind  of  fish  I  have  never  met 
with  elsewhere  excepting  in  the  tropical  seas.  These  gar- 
fish of  the  North  Sea  were  of  comparatively  small  size, 
about  fifteen  inches  in  length,  but  of  most  delicious  flavor. 
Their  long  and  slim  backbone  being  of  a  deep  emerald 
green  color,  Captain  Allen,  with  characteristic  sagacity,  con- 
cluded that  these  fish  were  poisonous  and  unwholesome,  and 
banished  them  from  the  cabin.  They  were  heartily  wel- 
comed in  the  forecastle,  however,  their  qualities  fully  tested, 
and  the  skipper  was  pronounced  the  most  verdant  of  the  two! 

Passing  the  Naze,  a  high  bluff  point  at  the  south-west- 
ern extremity  of  Norway,  and  then  losing  sight  of  the 
rough,  mountainous  coast,  intersected  by  innumerable  arms 
of  the  sea,  called  fiords,  penetrating  inland  for  miles,  we 
crossed  the  Skager-rack  and  entered  the  Cattegat  Sea, 
which  divides  the  western  shores  of  Sweden  from  the 
coast  of  Jutland,  and  which  is  about  a  hundred  miles  in 
length  and  fifty  miles  in  breadth.  We  soon  got  sight  of 
Wingo  Beacon,  a  high  pyramidal  monument,  built  on  a 
rock  at  one  of  the  entrances  of  the  fiord  on  which  the  city 
of  Gottenburg  is  situated,  and  procured  a  pilot,  who  took 
us  through  a  narrow,  winding  channel  among  the  rocks, 
into  a  snug  haven  surrounded  by  barren  islets,  and  brought 
the  brig  to  anchoi-. 

Here  we  were  obliged  to  remain  until  visited  the  next 
morning  by  the  health  officer;  for  the  quarantine  regula- 
tions of  Sweden,  although  not  so  vexatious  and  absurd  as 
in  many  other  ports  of  Europe,  were  nevertheless  very 
strict.  A  case  of  plague  or  yellow  fever  was  never  known 
in  Gottenburg,  or  in  any  other  port  in  Sweden,  yet  it  was 

35* 


414  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

the  universal  belief  among  medical  men  that  both  diseases 
were  contagious,  and  could  be  imported  in  ships  from  the 
Mediterranean  and  the  West  Indies.  Therefore,  an  elabo- 
rate code  of  sanitary  regulations  was  established,  and  pre- 
cautions of  the  most  useless,  yet  annoying  character  to 
persons  engaged  in  commerce,  were  taken  to  prevent  the 
introduction  of  diseases,  which  could  not  exist  an  hour  in 
that  northern  climate. 

The  health  officer,  a  grave  and  dignified  personage,  with 
a  formidable  posse,  was  rowed  alongside  the  brig  in  an 
eight-oared  barge.  He  asked  the  question,  "Are  you  all 
well  on  board  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

The  crew  were  summoned  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and 
their  phizzes  critically  examined  by  the  doctor.  We  were 
then  ordered  up  the  rigging  as  high  as  the  tops,  to  exhibit 
our  activity,  and  prove  that  our  muscles  were  in  good 
working  condition. 

"  Where  is  your  roll  of  equipage  ? "  asked  the  doctor. 

This  document,  containing  a  list  of  the  crew  as  shipped 
in  Havana,  and  certified  at  the  custom  house,  after  having 
undergone  an  unpleasant  process  of  purification,  was 
passed  to  the  health  officer,  by  the  aid  of  a  pair  of  tongs 
with  legs  of  extraordinary  length. 

On  counting  heads,  and  comparing  the  actual  number  of 
those  who  were  anxiously  looking  over  the  gunwale  with  the 
list  of  the  ship's  company,  that  vigilant  functionary  shook  his 
head.  One  of  the  number  was  missing !  An  explanation 
was  demanded.  Captain  Allen  was  embarrassed.  He 
trumped  up  a  clumsy  story  about  a  bad  cold,  ill  health  of 
long  standing,  consumption,  &c.,  but  whispered  not  a  sylla- 
ble of  yellow  fever.  He  was  a  poor  hand  at  deception  ;  but 
he  might  as  well  have  stated  the  whole  truth,  for  in  all 
places  abroad  where  strict  quarantine  laws  are  established, 
if  one  or  more  of  the  crew  is  missing,  it  matters  not 
whether  he  died  of  accident  or  disease,  the  health  officers 


SAXITARY    LAWS MUTINY    AND    3IVRDER.  410 

take  it  for  granted,  and  insist  upon  it  in  spite  of  evidence 
to  the  contrary,  that  he  died  of  plague  if  the  vessel  is  from 
the  Mediterranean,  or  of  yellow  fever  if  from  a  southern 
American  port  or  the  West  Indies. 

Greatly  to  the  mortification  of  Captain  Allen,  and  to  the 
loudly  expressed  dissatisfaction  of  the  crew,  the  brig  was 
ordered  to  remain  ten  days  in  quarantine. 

Nor  was  this  all  the  trouble  and  annoyance  consequent 
on  the  deficiency  in  the  "  roll  of  equipage."  Fumigations 
in  the  cabin  and  the  forecastle,  of  a  character  stronger  and 
more  disagreeable  than  Captain  Allen  ever  dreamed  of, 
were  carried  on,  under  the  direction  of  the  pilot  and  a 
revenue  officer,  several  times  a  day.  They  were  attended 
with  a  most  inodorous  effluvia,  and  caused  such  a  general 
concert  of  sneezing  and  coughing,  by  night  as  well  as  by 
day,  that  one  would  have  thought  influenza,  in  its  most 
fearful  shape  and  with  giant  power,  had  seized  every 
man  by  the  throat. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

SANITARY    LAWS MUTINY    AND    MURDER. 

LAWS  for  the  preservation  of  the  health  of  a  community 
have  been  established  among  civilized  nations  in  every  age. 
And  when  these  laws  are  based  on  reason  and  intelligence, 
they  undoubtedly  subserve  a  noble  purpose.  But  the  quar- 
antine laws  all  over  the  world,  with  some  rare  exceptions, 
being  the  offspring  of  ignorance  and  terror,  are  not  only 
the  climax  of  absurdity,  but  act  as  an  incubus  on  com- 
merce, causing  ruinous  delays  in  mercantile  operations, 
much  distress,  and  unnecessary  expense. 

The  plague  was  formerly  universally  regarded  as  a  con- 


416  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

tagious  disease,  and  to  prevent  the  horrors  which  attend 
its  introduction  in  large  cities,  the  most  stringent  laws 
have  been  enacted  for  ages.  But  the  contagiousness  of 
the  plague  is  now  doubted  by  many  enlightened  physicians. 
Whether  it  be  so  or  not,  it  never  made  its  appearance  in 
countries  bordering  on  the  North  Sea  or  the  Baltic,  or  on 
the  American  continent.  Although  many  vessels  every 
year,  almost  every  month,  arrive  in  our  principal  ports 
from  the  Levant,  freighted  with  rags  and  other  articles, 
constituting  a  medium  through  which  this  disease,  if  con- 
tagious, would  surely  be  propagated,  yet  this  dreadful 
scourge  of  cities,  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  has  never 
been  brought  across  the  Atlantic. 

The  small  pox  is  another  disease  against  the  introduc- 
tion of  which  quarantine  laws  have  been  established. 
That  it  is  contagious  there  is  no  question ;  but  by  the 
blessed  discovery  of  vaccination,  this  disease,  once  so 
dreadful,  is  robbed  of  its  horrors,  and  rendered  as  harm- 
less as  the  measles  or  the  whooping  cough,  insomuch  that 
laws,  formerly  enacted  in  different  states  to  protect  the 
people  from  the  dangers  of  the  small  pox  have  generally 
been  repealed. 

The  Asiatic  cholera,  when  it  first  made  its  appearance 
in  Europe,  was  believed  to  be  contagious.  Quarantine 
laws,  of  the  most  stringent  character,  were  adopted  to  pre- 
vent its  introduction  into  seaports,  and  military  cordons 
sanitaire  were  drawn  around  the  frontiers  of  nations  to 
shut  it  out  of  villages  and  towns,  until  it  was  ascertained 
to  be  an  epidemic  disease,  the  germs  of  which  were  in 
the  atmosphere,  and  could  no  more  be  controlled  than  the 
winds  which  sweep  the  earth. 

The  yellow  fever,  however,  has  for  many  years  been  the 
most  terrible  bugbear,  and  to  prevent  its  introduction  into 
the  seaports  of  Europe  and  the  United  States  has  been 
the  chief  end  and  aim  of  the  absurd  and  ridiculous  quar- 
antine regulations  to  which  I  have  referred.  It  has  never 


SANITARY    LAWS  —  MUTINY    AND    MURDER.  417 

been  regarded  as  contagious  by  well-informed  men  in 
countries  where  it  is  most  prevalent,  and  now,  in  spite  of 
long-existing  and  deeply-stamped  prejudices,  it  is  generally 
admitted,  by  enlightened  physicians,  that  the  yellow  fever 
is  not  contagious.  Not  a  single  well-established  fact  can 
be  adduced  to  show  the  contagious  character  of  the  disease, 
or  that  it  can  be  conveyed  in  cargoes  of  any  description 
from  one  country  to  another. 

Persons  in  good  health  may  leave  a  port  where  yellow 
fever  prevails,  and  carry  within  them  the  seeds  of  the  dis- 
ease, and  on  arriving  at  another  port  several  days  after- 
wards, or  on  the  passage  thither,  may  be  attacked  with  the 
disease  in  its  most  appalling  character,  and  die ;  but  the 
disease  is  not  communicated  to  others.  Indeed,  the  yellow 
fever  is  not  so  infectious  as  the  typhus  or  scarlet  fever, 
which  prevails  every  season  in  northern  climes. 

When  the  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  New  York,  and 
caused  much  alarm,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  the  first  cases 
occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  Trinity  Church,  and,  until  de- 
stroyed by  a  black  frost,  it  spread  gradually  in  every  direc- 
tion from  this  common  centre,  insomuch  that  the  "infected 
district "  was  clearly  defined  and  marked  out  from  day  to 
day.  Persons,  who  had  been  in  the  "infected  district," 
and  left  it  for  other  parts  of  the  country,  were  subse- 
quently attacked  by  this  disease  hundreds  of  miles  from 
New  York,  and  died ;  but  not  a  single  instance  occurred 
in  which  it  was  communicated  to  others.  And  so  in  the 
West  Indies :  the  yellow  fever  sometimes  rages  fearfully 
in  one  city  or  town,  while  in  another,  on  the  same  island, 
not  a  single  case  exists,  although  there  is  a  daily  and  un- 
obstructed intercourse  between  the  two  places.  And 
whenever,  owing  to  some  mysterious  agency,  it  makes 
its  appearance,  precautions  to  prevent  its  extension  seem 
useless.  It  overleaps  all  barriers,  and  attacks  with  equal 
seventy  the  inmates  of  a  palace  or  a  filthy  hovel,  the  cap- 
tain of  a  ship  iu  a  splendid  cabin,  surrounded  with  phials 


418  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

and  pills,  and  Jack  in  the  forecastle,  redolent  of  tobacco, 
and  destitute  of  ventilation. 

The  quarantine  regulations  in  Boston  formerly  partook 
of  the  unreasonable  and  absurd  character,  which,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  has  marked  these  regulations  in  all 
maritime  countries.  Vessels  arriving  from  certain  ports 
where  yellow  fever  was  supposed  to  prevail,  were  not 
allowed  to  haul  to  a  wharf  and  discharge  cargo,  or  hold 
any  direct  personal  communication  with  the  city,  until  the 
expiration  of  twenty-five  days  after  leaving  port.  Thus  a 
vessel  from  the  West  Indies,  having  perishable  commodi- 
ties on  board,  might  reach  Boston  in  twelve  days,  the 
vessel  and  cargo  in  good  condition,  and  every  man  stout 
and  hearty.  But  it  was  supposed  that  yellow  fever  might 
lurk  among  the  crew,  or  lie  concealed  among  boxes  of 
sugars  or  cigars,  and,  therefore,  thirteen  additional  days 
were  allowed  to  give  it  an  opportunity  to  escape.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time,  when  the  patience  of  the  men, 
kept  so  long  in  durance  vile  without  the  shadow  of  a 
cause,  in  sight  of  their  homes,  was  exhausted,  and  the 
perishable  portion  of  the  cargo  in  a  most  unwholesome 
state  of  decomposition,  caused  by  the  delay,  the  vessel 
was  pronounced  pure,  —  in  a  fit  condition  to  receive  pra- 
tique, and  allowed  to  haul  alongside  the  wharf,  receive 
visitors  on  board,  and  discharge  cargo. 

The  reader,  inexperienced  in  the  mysteries  of  sanitary 
regulations,  may  smile  at  the  absurdity  of  such  proceed- 
ings, but  the  system  of  guarding  the  public  against  the 
horrors  of  the  yellow  fever,  adopted  by  the  health  depart- 
ment of  Boston,  was  in  those  days  remarkably  judicious 
and  indulgent,  when  compared  with  the  regulations  in 
other  cities,  and  which  exist  at  the  present  time,  not  only 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  but  in  this  country. 
And,  to  the  credit  of  Boston,  and  as  an  illustration  of  the 
intelligence  of  her  citizens,  it  should  be  recorded  that  this 
seaport,  the  principal  one  in  New  England,  was  the  first  in 


SANITARY    LAWS ML'TIXY    AND    MURDER.  419 

the  civilized  world  to  express  an  opinion  that  the  yellow 
fever  was  not  contagious,  and  to  repeal  those  ridiculous, 
useless,  and  burdensome  "quarantine  laws,"  which,  originat- 
ing in  panic  terror,  have  been  instituted  from  time  imme- 
morial, to  prevent  the  introduction  of  plague  and  yellow 
fever,  and  establish  in  their  stead  sanitary  regulations, 
which  are  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  common 
sense. 

Infectious  diseases  are  sometimes  caused  by  the  foul  air 
arising  from  a  ship's  hold,  owing  to  the  decomposition  of 
vegetable  substances  in  a  hot  climate,  or  to  an  accumula- 
tion of  filth,  without  ventilation,  when  crowded  with  pas- 
sengers. The  malignant,  pestilential  disease,  caused  by 
inhaling  this  noxious  atmosphere,  often  sweeps  off  portions 
of  the  crew  and  passengers ;  and  those  who  visit  a  ship 
under  such  circumstances,  and  breathe  the  poisonous  gases, 
even  in  a  northern  latitude,  are  liable  to  be  attacked  by 
this  fatal  disease.  But  the  ordinary  quarantine  regula- 
tions will  afford  no  protection  in  such  a  case.  A  few 
weeks'  delay  in  quarantine  after  the  crew  have  become  ac- 
climated, and  fumigations,  and  sprinklings  with  acids  in 
the  cabin,  until  all  hands  are  pickled  or  smoke-dried,  will 
not  purify  the  ship's  hold,  prevent  the  exhalation  of  pesti- 
lential gases,  and  arrest  the  progress  of  infection. 

Then  may  we  not  hope  that  the  expensive  quarantine 
establishments,  with  sweeping,  indiscriminating  regulations, 
founded  on  prejudice,  and  continued  through  fear  and  ig- 
norance, a  disgrace  to  this  enlightened  age,  and  a  dead 
weight  on  commercial  enterprise,  will  soon  be  abolished? 
In  their  stead  let  a  board  of  health  be  instituted,  with  an 
office  where  business  can  be  transacted  at  all  hours.  Let 
the  master  of  every  vessel  which  arrives  in  port,  and  on 
board  of  which  deaths  have  occurred  during  the  passage, 
report  tho  same  at  the  health  office,  that  judicious  meas- 
ures, such  as  are  adapted  to  the  particular  case,  may  be 
resorted  to,  in  order  to  protect  the  community  or  Individ u- 


420  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

als  from  inconvenience  or  clanger  when  infectious  diseases 
exist. 

Time  passes  slowly  in  quarantine.  The  officers  of  a 
ship  are  generally  taciturn,  surly,  and  exacting;  and  the 
crew  are  unhappy,  discontented,  disposed  to  grumble,  and 
ready  to  quarrel  and  fight  on  the  most  trivial  occasions, 
and  often  without  any  occasion  whatever.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  ten  protracted  days  after  we  let  go  our  anchor  in 
the  outer  harbor  of  Gottenburg,  we  were  again  honored 
with  a  visit  from  the  health  officer.  The  crew  manifested 
their  vigorous  physical  condition  by  another  clamber  up 
the  rigging.  The  officer  came  on  board,  shook  hands  with 
the  captain,  and  congratulated  him  on  being  released  from 
quarantine.  The  pilot  took  charge  of  the  vessel,  the  men 
were  ordered  to  man  the  windlass,  which  order  was  obeyed 
with  alacrity.  Faces  diminished  in  longitude,  and  were 
lighted  up  with  smiles.  The  anchor  song  of  "  Yeo,  heave 
O,"  never  sounded  more  musical  or  inspiring  than  on  that 
occasion.  Sail  was  made  on  the  brig  with  magical  dex- 
terity, and  the  crew  were  in  fine  spirits,  jocund,  and  happy, 
as  we  thridded  the  channel  extending  some  ten  miles  to 
the  city,  looked  with  surprise  upon  the  innumei-able  bar- 
ren rocks  and  islets  scattered  around,  and  entering  the 
strait,  surveyed  with  increasing  interest  and  pleasure  culti- 
vated fields,  and  neat-looking  dwelling  houses,  and  men, 
women,  and  children,  busily  engaged  in  their  customary 
occupations.  We  felt  that  we  were  in  the  world  once 
more. 

Gottenburg  is  a  large  and  populous  city,  situated  on  a 
plain  near  the  extremity  of  the  fiord,  about  thirteen  miles 
from  the  Cattegat,  but  almost  encircled  by  steep  and 
craggy  rocks,  hills,  and  a  bold  and  picturesque  scenery, 
with  a  fine  harbor,  the  entrance  to  which  is  easily  de- 
fended ;  it  is  conveniently  located  for  the  foreign  trade  of 
Sweden,  and  next  to  Stockholm,  has  the  most  extensive 
commerce  of  any  port  in  the  kingdom.  Its  exports  con- 


SANITARY    LAV.'S MUTINY    AXD    MURDEE.  421 

sist  chiefly  of  iron  and  steel,  brought  from  rich  mines 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  in  the  interior,  by  a  well-perfect- 
ed system  of  inland  navigation.  We  lay  some  weeks  at 
anchor  in  the  xipper  harbor,  and  I  had  abundant  opportu- 
nities to  visit  the  city,  mark  its  peculiarities  and  note  the 
character  of  its  inhabitants,  who,  in  Gottenburg  and  vicin- 
ity, as  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom,  are  simple  and  in- 
dustrious in  their  habits,  and  civil  and  hospitable  to 
strangers. 

After  our  cargo  was  discharged  and  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  iron  taken  on  board  for  ballast,  the  American  consul 
informed  Captain  Allen  that  he  had  a  prisoner  under  his 
charge,  accused  of  a  capital  crime,  whom  it  was  necessary 
to  send  to  the  United  States  for  trial,  and  that  the  bri£ 

*  o 

Joseph  had  been  selected  for  the  honor  of  conveying  the 
criminal  across  the  ocean.  The  captain  did  not  appear 
flattered  by  this  mark  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  the 
consul ;  he  ventured  a  weak  remonstrance,  but  finally 
submitted  with  a  good  grace.  Preparations  were  accord- 
ingly made  for  the  reception  of  the  prisoner,  who  had 
made  one  of  the  crew  of  the  large  clipper  schooner  Platts- 
burg,  on  board  which  vessel  mutiny,  piracy,  and  murder 
had  been  committed. 

The  Plattsburg  sailed  from  Baltimore  about  the  1st  of 
July,  1816,  bound  on  a  voyage  to  Smyrna,  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, with  a  cargo  of  coffee,  and  $4*2,000  in  specie.  The 
schooner  was  commanded  by  William  Hackett ;  the  name 
of  the  chief  mate  was  Frederick  Yeizer,  the  second  mate 
was  Stephen  B.  Onion,  and  Thomas  Baynard  was  the 
supercargo.  The  crew  consisted  of  six  persons,  all  of 
whom  were  foreigners,  and  among  them  were  some  desper- 
ate, hardened  ruffians,  who  had  learned  lessons  in  villany 
on  board  Patriot  privateers,  some  of  which,  under  no 
legal  restraint,  and  responsible  to  no  government,  were 
little  better  than  pirates.  The  names  of  these  men  were 
John  Williams  a  Canadian,  Peter  Rog  a  Dane,  Francis 

36 


422  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Frederick  a  Spaniard,  Miles  Petersen  a  Swede,  William 
Stromer  a  Prussian,  and  Nathaniel  White  an  Englishman. 

Before  the  Plattsburg  had  passed  Cape  Henry  symp- 
toms of  insubordination  appeared  among  the  crew.  One 
of  the  men,  named  John  Williams,  was  particularly  inso- 
lent and  troublesome,  and  was  chastised  by  the  captain, 
after  which  the  voyage  was  quietly  pursued,  and  the  crew 
were  obedient  and  apparently  contented.  But  beneath 
this  apparent  calm  a  terrible  storm  was  brewing.  A  fiend- 
ish plan  was  devised  by  Williams  and  Stromer,  and  agreed 
to  by  the  rest,  to  murder  the  officers  and  get  possession  of 
the  money,  which  they  knew  was  on  board.  They  first  de- 
termined to  poison  the  captain,  supercargo,  and  mates,  but 
owing  to  some  failure  in  their  calculations  this  plan  was 
abandoned.  When  off  the  Western  Islands,  it  was  deter- 
mined, after  some  discussion,  to  seize  on  the  officers 
while  they  were  taking  an  observation  of  the  sun  at  me- 
ridian, and,  following  the  example  of  the  mutineers  of  the 
Bounty,  compel  them  to  embark  in  the  long-boat,  and  run 
their  chance  of  reaching  the  shore.  Williams  and  Stromer 
provided  themselves  with  cords  in  order  to  bind  the  cap- 
tain, and  also  with  weapons  to  knock  him  on  the  head  if 
he  should  resist ;  but  when  the  time  for  action  arrived, 
the  hearts  of  their  associates  failed  them,  and  the  project 
was  abandoned. 

Williams  reproached  his  shipmates  for  their  cowardice. 
They  were  not  lacking  in  rascality,  but  they  wanted 
nerve  to  carry  into  effect  the  desperate  design  of  taking 
possession  of  the  schooner  Another  consultation  was 
held,  and  it  was  concluded  that  the  safest  proceeding 
would  be  to  massacre  the  officers  before  they  could  have 
an  opportunity  to  make  resistance.  This  plan  was  re- 
solved upon,  and  all  the  details  were  carefully  arranged, 
and  every  man  had  his  part  assigned  him  in  the  fearful 
tragedy  which  was  about  to  be  enacted. 

Accordingly  about  midnight,  on  the  24th  of  July,  being 


SANITARY    LAWS MUTINY    AND    MURDER.  423 

then  but  little  more  than  a  hundred  miles  to  the  westward 
of  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  a  loud  cry  was  heard  from  the 
forecastle,  of  "  Sail,  ho !  right  ahead  ! " 

Mr.  Yeizer,  the  mate,  rushed  forward  to  obtain  a  view 
of  the  vessel,  and  on  stepping  forward  of  the  windlass,  was 
felled  to  the  deck  by  a  murderous  blow  from  a  handspike 
in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  mutineers.  His  body  was  in- 
stantly seized  upon  and  thrown  overboard.  The  second 
mate,  who  had  just  been  called,  hearing  the  cry  of  "a  sail," 
hastened  on  deck  and  was  going  forward,  when  he  was 
struck  a  violent  blow,  and  grappled  by  Williams,  who  ex- 
claimed, "  Here  is  one  of  the  rascals !  Overboard  with 
him ! "  But  the  captain,  alarmed  by  the  cries  and  trampling 
on  deck,  now  made  his  appearance,  and  Williams  released 
his  grasp  on  Onion  and  attacked  the  captain,  who,  unsuspi- 
cious of  any  mutinous  intentions,  was  unarmed.  He  was 
summarily  disposed  of,  being  brained  by  a  handspike  or 
heaver,  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  Onion,  greatly  terrified, 
escaped  down  the  companion-way,  and  concealed  himself 
in  the  bread  locker. 

The  mutineers  now  called  upon  Mr.  Baynard,  the  super- 
cargo, to  show  himself  on  deck.  He  hesitated,  but  on  be- 
ing assured  that  no  harm  was  intended,  and  threatened 
with  instant  death  if  he  did  not  make  his  appearance  at 
once,  he  passed  up  the  companion-way,  and  while  con- 
versing with  Williams,  was  mercilessly  murdered  by  Stro- 
mer  and  Rosr. 

O 

Three  of  the  pirates  now  entered  the  cabin  in  search  of 
the  second  mate,  and  the  question  was  raised  whether  his 
life  should  be  spared.  After  some  debate  it  was  deter- 
mined that  he  should  not  be  killed,  provided  he  would 
take  an  oath  to  be  faithful  to  their  interests  and  aid  them 
in  their  future  proceedings.  Onion,  on  hearing  the  deci- 
sion, came  out  of  his  hiding-place,  took  the  prescribed  oath 
of  fidelity,  and  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  fraternity. 
As  some  proper  organization  for  the  management  of  the 


424  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

vessel  was  considered  necessary,  Stromer  was  chosen  cap- 
tain, William's  chief  mate,  and  Onion  retained  his  position 
as  second  mate. 

On  the  morning  succeeding  this  terrible  crime,  the 
specie  was  taken  from  "  the  run  "  beneath  the  cabin  and 
brought  on  deck.  Each  man  —  including  Onion  and  Sam- 
berson,  the  cook,  who  took  no  part  in  the  outrage — re- 
ceived a  share  of  the  money,  which  was  measured  out  in 
hats  and  tin  pots, — a  single  share  amounting  to  about  five 
thousand  dollars. 

And  now  the  important  question  arose  to  what  part  of 
the  world  should  they  direct  their  course,  in  order  to  sell 
the  vessel  and  cargo  and  make  their  escape  with  their  ill- 
gotten  booty;  for  they  knew  the  deed  would  soon  be 
known  and  the  avengers  of  blood  be  upon  their  heels. 
They,  finally,  concluded  to  shape  their  course  to  the  north- 
ward, and  enter  some  obscure  port  in  Norway,  where  no 
very  strict  inquisition  would  probably  be  made  into  the 
character  of  the  vessel  or  their  intentions,  and  from  which 
place  they  could  easily  find  means  of  proceeding  to  other 
parts  of  Europe.  Onion,  who  was  a  skilful  penman,  was 
directed  to  manufacture  some  new  invoices  of  cargo  and 
alter  other  papers  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deceive,  for  a 
time  at  least,  the  revenue  authorities  of  such  port  as  they 
might  enter;  and  Williams  altered  the  ship's  log-book  to 
correspond  with  the  story  they  had  agreed  upon. 

They  arrived  at  Cleveland,  a  small  port  in  Norway, 
about  the  middle  of  August,  and  conducted  their  affairs 
in  such  a  way  as  to  give  no  cause  for  supposing  any  thing 
was  wrong.  But  when  Stromer  expressed  a  desire  to  sell 
the  vessel  and  cargo,  without  being  particular  in  regard  to 
the  price,  suspicions  were  excited  that  all  was  not  right ; 
and  those  suspicions  were  strengthened  by  some  careless 
remarks  of  Frederick  and  Rog  after  they  had  been  drink- 
ing freely.  The  schooner  was  accordingly  seized  and 
taken  possession  of  by  the  proper  authorities,  and  brought 


SANITARY    LAWS — MUTINY    AND    MTJBDER.  ^ 

round  to  another  wharf,  where  an  investigation  took 
place.  This  of  course  alarmed  the  guilty  crew,  and  before 
their  iniquity  was  discovered,  each  man  took  his  share  of 
money  so  dearly  earned,  and  in  all  haste  left  the  shores  of 
Norway. 

Williams,  Onion,  Rog,  Frederick,  and  Samberson  em- 
barked in  a  sloop  for  Copenhagen,  where  they  lauded  in 
fine  spirits;  and  under  the  direction  of  Frederick,  who 
was  a  native  of  that  city,  undertook  to  open  a  store,  and 
with  this  object  purchased  a  variety  of  goods.  But  it  was 
not  long  before  some  circumstances  drew  upon  them  the  at- 
tention of  the  police.  They  were  arrested,  and  Samberson 
exposed  the  whole  horrible  transaction.  These  men  were 
thrown  into  prison,  and  intelligence  of  their  arrest  was 
sent  to  the  American  government ;  but  more  than  two 
years  expired  before  they  were  brought  to  this  country  in 
the  United  States  ship  Hornet. 

Stromer  and  White  went  off  together;  and  Stromer 
probably  proceeded  to  Prussia  with  his  share  of  the  money. 
He  was  never  discovered  by  the  satellites  of  justice ;  but 
White  was  subsequently  arrested  and  brought  to  trial. 
Petersen,  who  was  a  native  of  Gottenburg,  returned  di- 
rectly to  his  home.  He  had  parents  in  that  city  of  respec- 
table standing,  besides  brothers  and  sisters.  He  told  his 
relatives  an  ingenious  tale  to  account  for  his  prosperous 
condition ;  but  he  was  speedily  tracked  by  the  officers  of 
justice,  and  one  day  while  enjoying  himself  with  his  friends, 
and  lavishly  spending  his  money,  he  was  arrested  for  the 
dreadful  crimes  of  piracy  and  murder,  and  thrown  into  a 
dungeon,  where  he  remained  heavily  ironed  for  nearly 
twelve  months,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  brig  Joseph 
for  conveyance  to  the  United  States. 

36* 


426  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

RETURN      OF      THE    WANDERER. 

WE  sailed  from  Gottenburg  one  morning  about  the  first 
of  September,  1817,  bound  to  Boston.  Having  been  long 
absent  from  my  home  without  intercourse  of  any  descrip- 
tion with  my  friends  and  relations,  and  having  seen  during 
that  period  striking  exemplifications  of  the  caprices  of  for- 
tune, having  experienced  "many  ups  and  downs,"  the 
downs,  however,  being  decidedly  in  the  majority,  I  felt  a 
strong  desire,  a  yearning,  to  return  once  more  to  my  friends 
in  New  England.  I  was  convinced  there  were  worse  places 
in  the  world  than  my  own  dear  native  land,  and  far  worse 
people  than  those  among  whom  my  lot  had  been  cast  in 
childhood. 

It  was  on  a  Saturday  we  sailed  from  Gottenburg.  It 
had  been  Captain  Allen's  intention  to  sail  on  the  previous 
Thursday,  but  he  was  unexpectedly  detained.  On  Friday 
morning  all  the  arrangements  were  completed ;  the  brig 
was  ready  for  sea,  the  wind  was  fresh  and  fair,  but  not  a 
step  was  taken  towards  getting  under  weigh.  Indeed  our 
worthy  captain  plumply  told  Mr.  Bowen  that  no  considera- 
tion would  induce  him  to  go  to  sea  on  a  Friday  /  The 
crew,  one  and  all,  as  well  as  the  mate,  were  amused  at  this 
exhibition  of  weakness,  which  did  not  increase  the  respect 
for  his  character;  for  all  sailors  are  not  superstitious,  al- 
though they  are  proverbially  regarded  as  such. 

Petersen,  the  prisoner,  who  was  brought  on  board  in 
irons,  bore  no  resemblance  in  personal  appearance  to  the 
ferocious,  ill-looking,  big-whiskered  ruffian,  whose  image  is 
conjured  up  by  the  mention  of  the  word  "pirate."  On  the 
contrary  he  was  a  gentle-looking  youth,  only  nineteen 
years  of  age,  of  a  slight  figure,  pale  complexion,  and  a  pleas- 


RETURN    OF    THE    WANDERER.  41:7 

ant,  prepossessing  countenance.  He  spoke  English  fluently, 
and  by  his  conduct,  intelligence,  and  plausible  representa- 
tions, soon  won  the  favor  of  every  man  on  board.  He  de- 
clared that  he  did  not  participate  in  the  mutiny ;  that  it 
was  planned  without  his  knowledge ;  that  when  the  mur- 
ders were  committed  he  was  asleep  in  the  forecastle,  and 
fear  for  his  own  life  induced  him  to  accept  a  share  of  the 
money  and  endeavor  to  conceal  the  crime. 

His  story  was  believed  by  Captain  Allen  and  others,  and 
he  was  relieved  from  his  handcuffs  every  morning,  and 
allowed  to  leave  his  quarters  in  the  half-deck  and  range 
the  vessel,  mix  with  the  sailors  and  assist  in  the  perform- 
ance of  the  various  duties;  and  he  showed  himself  an  ac- 
tive, obedient,  and  intelligent  seaman.  He  often  expressed 
a  wish  that  his  trial  should  take  place ;  he  was  confident 
of  an  acquittal,  and  longed  to  be  once  more  at  liberty. 

I  may  as  well  state  here  that  the  trial  of  the  mutineers 
of  the  Plattsburg,  viz.,  Williams,  Rog,  Frederick,  Petersen, 
and  White  took  place  on  the  28th  of  December,  1818,  be- 
fore the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court,  in  session  at  Boston,  Justice 
Story  presiding.  They  were  defended  by  able  counsel, 
but  convicted  on  circumstantial  evidence,  corroborated  by 
the  direct  testimony  of  Samberson  and  Onion.  It  appeared 
on  the  trial  that  the  mild  and  amiable-looking  Petersen 
was  one  of  the  most  forward  and  active  of  the  mutineers. 
It  was  he  who  gave  the  signal  for  action  by  crying  "  Sail, 
ho ! "  and  he  subsequently  assisted  in  throwing  overboard 
the  mate  and  murdering  the  captain. 

The  execution  of  these  pirates  was  appointed  for  the 
21st  of  January,  1819,  but  on  the  ground  that  the  time 
between  the  sentence  and  execution,  twenty-four  days,  was 
too  short  to  allow  the  criminals  to  make  their  peace  with 
God,  a  respite  was  granted  until  the  18th  of  Februaiy. 
On  that  day  they  were  placed  in  a  wagon,  and  a  procession 
was  formed  of  an  imposing  character,  which,  after  passing 
through  Court  Street,  State  Street,  India  Street,  and  Milk 


428  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

Street  to  the  Main  Street,  now  Washington  Street,  pro- 
ceeded to  "the  town  land  on  Boston  Neck,"  where  the 
execution  took  place  in  presence  of  twenty  thousand 
people. 

These  men  died  a  terrible  death,  in  a  strange  land,  far 
from  their  homes  and  kindred.  Although  such  numbers 
witnessed  the  execution,  few  sympathized  with  them  in 
their  sufferings,  for  all  acknowledged  that  their  sentence 
was  just.  Their  execution,  doubtless,  acted  as  an  impres- 
sive warning  to  others,  and  restrained  desperate  ruffians 
from  the  commission  of  desperate  deeds. 

In  all  ages,  crimes  of  a  dark  dye  when  committed  on  the 
ocean,  have  been  regarded  as  exhibiting  a  more  depraved 
character  in  the  criminal  than  crimes  of  a  similar  descrip- 
tion committed  on  the  land.  At  sea  there  are  no  consta- 
bles or  police  officers,  no  magistrates  or  good  citizens  ready 
and  willing  to  aid  in  preserving  the  peace  of  society,  pro- 
tecting life  and  property  when  endangered,  and  in  arrest- 
ing a  rogue  or  murderer.  For  this  reason  laws  relating  to 
mutiny,  piracy,  and  murder  on  the  seas  are  punishable 
with  death.  In  many  atrocious  cases  it  is  difficult,  per- 
haps impossible,  to  obtain  proof  sufficient  to  convict  the 
offender ;  but  whenever  a  violator  of  those  laws,  whether 
a  principal  or  accessory,  is  arrested,  tried,  and  convicted, 
the  punishment  should  be  sure  to  follow.  The  certainty  of 
punishment  is  a  mighty  preventive  to  crime.  The  impulses 
of  that  false  philanthropy  which  seems  to  flourish  in  the 
present  age,  can  never  be  more  injuriously  indulged  than 
by  persevering  and  unscrupulous  efforts  to  influence  the 
press  and  rouse. public  opinion  in  favor  of  setting  aside  the 
verdict  of  a  jury,  and  snatching  a  red-handed  murderer  on 
the  high  seas  from  the  gallows. 

Nothing  particularly  remarkable  occurred  during  our 
passage  home.  It  was  in  the  season  of  the  year  when 
severe  gales  are  met  with  on  the  Atlantic,  but  the  brig 
Joseph  proved  a  good  sea  boat,  tight  as  a  drum,  and  could 


X" 

Hawser  practising  gymnastics. —p.  429. 


RETURN  OF  THE  WANDERER.  429 

lie  to  or  scud  without  danger  of  being  overwhelmed  by 
the  combing  waves.  On  this  passage  a  little  incident  oc- 
curred off  the  Orkney  Islands,  that  will  convey  some  idea 
of  the  dangers  to  which  those  are  subjected  whose  home 
is  on  the  ocean. 

We  were  lying  to  in  a  gale.  The  wind  blew  fiercely  in 
flaws,  and  there  was  a  high  and  turbulent  sea  running. 
The  brig  was  at  times  uneasy,  and  in  the  pauses  of  the 
gale  rolled  heavily  to  windward  as  well  as  to  leeward. 
Orders  were  given  to  send  down  the  fore-top-gallant  mast. 
I  hastened  with  alacrity  aloft  for  that  purpose,  and  had 
reached  the  cross-trees,  when  in  a  lull  of  the  tempest,  the 
brig,  lying  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  lurched  fearfully  to 
windward.  I  grasped  firmly  one  of  the  top-gallant  shrouds 
above  the  cross-trees,  but  the  rope  being  old  and  decayed, 
parted  in  the  horn  of  the  cross-trees  beneath  my  hands. 

I  clung,  with  a  desperate  grasp,  to  the  rope,  but  was 
thrown  out  with  a  jerk  in  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees 
with  the  horizon,  and  when  the  brig  suddenly  righted  I 
attained  for  a  few  seconds  a  horizontal  position,  and  to 
an  observer  on  deck  must  have  looked  not  unlike  a  spread 
eagle  burgee  at  half-mast.  If  I  had  relinquished  my  grasp 
at  that  moment  I  should  have  been  thrown  into  the  sea 
some  thirty  feet  from  the  vessel's  side,  and  a  full  period 
would  have  been  put  to  the  adventures  of  Hawser  Martin- 
gale. But,  notwithstanding  the  muscles  of  my  arms  were 
severely  wrenched,  I  was  fortunately  able  to  retain  my 
grasp.  The  next  moment  the  action  of  gravitation,  to- 
gether with  the  roll  to  leeward,  threw  me  back  with  ter- 
rific force  against  the  topmast  rigging,  which  I  eagerly 
seized,  and  then  rejoicing  at  my  lucky  escape  from  a  great 
danger,  and  regardless  of  the  bruises  I  had  received^  I  went 
on  with  my  work. 

On  the  passage  homeward  I  often  indulged  in  reflections 
in  regard  to  my  future  position  in  life  ;  and  while  walking 
the  deck  at  night  loved  to  let  my  fancy  roam  and  picture 


430  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

castles  in  the  air,  which,  I  fondly  hoped,  might  at  some 
future  day  be  actually  constructed.  My  highest  ambition 
was  to  gain,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  my  business,  procure  the  command  of  a  good  ship,  and, 
by  my  own  labors,  acquire  a  competence  before  age  should 
weaken  the  faculties  or  diminish  a  relish  for  society ;  and 
then,  residing  in  my  own  house  with  a  small  piece  of  land 
attached  which  I  could  cultivate  with  my  own  hands,  and 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  metropolis  of  New  England, 
surrounded  by  a  pleasant  neighborhood,  and  enjoying 
domestic  happiness  in  all  its  purity,  gently  sail  down  the 
stream  of  life. 

This  was  not  an  extravagant  dream.  Yet  the  chances 
were  at  times  terribly  against  its  fulfilment.  But  I  never 
despaired,  and  fully  believed  that  if  Providence  should 
grant  me  life  and  continued  health,  the  castle  would  be 
built.  In  the  darkest  hours  I  kept  a  bright  lookout  ahead, 
far  ahead,  for  the  cheerful  and  safe  harbor  which  imagina- 
tion had  so  often  portrayed.  And  the  dream  has  been 
realized  almost  precisely  as  it  appeared  to  me  in  my  youth- 
ful days ;  and  I  have  enjoyed  for  many  years,  in  the  retire- 
ment which  my  fancy  painted,  as  much  happiness  as  usually 
falls  to  the  lot  of  man  in  this  checkered  life,  with  a  strong 
hope, 

"When  the  brief  voyage  in  safety  is  o'er, 
To  meet  with  loved  friends  on  the  far  distant  shore." 

About  forty  days  after  leaving  Gottenburg  we  reached 
the  Grand  Bank  of  Newfoundland,  and  crossed  it  in  lat- 
itude of  forty-four  degrees.  We  fell  in  with  many  fishing 
vessels  riding  at  anchor  in  thirty  fathoms  of  water,  the 
hardy  crews  of  which,  rigged  out  in  their  "  boots  and  bar- 
vels,"  were  busily  engaged  in  their  useful  but  arduous 
occupation.  When  on  the  centre  of  the  bank,  the  fog 
which  had  previously  obscured  objects  at  a  distance,  was 
suddenly  swept  away,  and  we  counted  from  the  deck 
seventy-four  schooners  at  anchor,  besides  several  which 
were  under  sail. 


RETURN  OF  THE  WANDERER.  401 

The  Bank  of  Newfoundland  is  of  enormous  extent, 
reaching  some  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  into  the 
Atlantic,  from  the  southern  part  of  Newfoundland  and 
islands  in  that  vicinity.  Its  southern  extremity  is  in  about 
forty-two  degrees  of  latitude,  and  fifty  degrees  west  lon- 
gitude from  Greenwich.  The  depth  of  water  varies  from 
twenty-five  to  fifty  fathoms.  The  Bank  is  in  the  direct 
track  of  vessels  bound  to  and  from  Europe,  and  many  sad 
disasters  have  occurred  to  the  fishermen,  while  lying  at 
anchor  in  rough  weather  in  a  dense  fog.  In  some  in- 
stances they  have  been  run  down,  crushed  to  fragments, 
by  large  ships  under  full  sail,  and  every  one  of  the  crew 
has  perished. 

The  fish  on  this  Bank  are  chiefly  cod,  and  have  been 
taken  in  incredible  numbers  by  the  crews  of  vessels  built 
and  fitted  out  for  this  purpose,  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years ;  and  in  times  past  this  fishery  has  proved  a  certain 
source  of  income,  and  sometimes  of  wealth,  to  bold  and 
enterprising  men.  But  for  a  number  of  years  this  business 
has  not  been  BO  profitable  as  formerly,  and  not  so  many 
vessels  have  been  employed.  It  has  been  intimated  by 
evil-disposed  persons  that  the  capital  stock  of  the  Bank  is 
getting  reduced,  and  that  it  will  ere  long  fail  to  make  dis- 
counts or  pay  dividends.  But  such  rumors  are  the  off- 
spring of  calumny ;  the  Bank  is  undoubtedly  sound,  has  a 
solid  bottom,  and  its  treasures  and  resources  are  inex- 
haustible. 

The  fishermen  of  the  Grand  Bank,  in  "days  lang  syne," 
belonged  chiefly  to  Marblehead  and  Cape  Ann.  They 
were  a  bold,  hardy,  sinewy  set  of  men,  inured  to  fatigue 
and  reckless  of  danger,  cheerful  in  their  dispositions,  im- 
patient under  restraint,  fond  of  what  they  considered 
good  living,  ready  with  a  joke  or  a  yarn  on  all  occasions, 
and  not  a  little  inclined  to  superstition.  Indeed  the  fish- 
ing vessels  on  the  Bank,  if  we  are  to  credit  the  tales  told 
years  ago,  were  often  favored  by  the  presence  of  death- 


432  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

warnings,  mysterious  noises,  ghosts,  and  apparitions. 
Sounds  were  heard  and  sights  seen  on  board  fishing  vessels 
on  the  Bank,  which  filled  the  stoutest  hearts  with  fear  and 
wonder,  and  would  even  astonish  the  most  inveterate  spir- 
itualist of  the  present  day. 

On  shore  the  fishermen  were  a  jolly  set  of  fellows,  social 
in  their  dispositions,  not  given  to  vicious  indulgences,  but 
somewhat  careless  of  their  earnings,  regarding  their 
resources  as  inexhaustible  as  "  the  fish  in  the  sea."  They 
married  early,  made  kind  and  affectionate  husbands,  and 
were,  in  almost  every  case,  blessed  with  a  numerous  off- 
spring ;  indeed,  Marblehead  fishermen  of  sixty  years  of  age 
would  remind  a  person  of  the  Bible  patriarchs  for  the 
number  of  their  descendants.  Their  wives,  fresh,  bloom- 
ing, spirited,  and  good-humored,  were  grandmothers  at  six 
and  thirty,  great  grandmothers  at  fifty-four,  and  great 
great  grandmothers  at  the  age  of  seventy-four ! 

The  fishermen  were  patriotic,  too.  They  were  dear 
lovers  of  their  country  and  its  institutions,  and  prided 
themselves  on  their  attachment  to  democracy.  In  the 
war  of  the  revolution  the  citizens  of  Marblehead,  and 
Gloucester,  and  Cape  Cod,  no  longer  able  to  pursue  their 
accustomed  vocations,  joined  the  armies  Avhich  fought  for 
freedom,  and  rendered  important  services  on  the  land  as 
well  as  on  the  ocean.  In  the  latest,  and,  we  trust,  the  last, 
war  with  Great  Britain,  they  came  forward  almost  to  a 
man,  to  assist  in  manning  our  frigates  and  privateers ;  and 
no  class  of  men  rendered  better  services,  or  could  be  more 
confidently  relied  on  when  deeds  of  daring  were  to  be 
performed,  than  the  whole-hearted  and  hard-handed  fish- 
ermen of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

As  a  nursery  for  seamen  for  our  merchant  ships  in  time 
of  peace,  the  fishing  business  has  proved  of  immense 
advantage  to  the  country,  and  that  policy  may  justly  be 
regarded  as  suicidal  on  the  part  of  the  national  govern- 
ment which  would  throw  barriers  in  the  way  of  its  success. 


RETURX    OF    THE    WANDERER.  4Jd 

To  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  extent  and  geo- 
graphical position  of  the  Grand  Bank  of  Newfoundland, 
it  may  seem  surprising,  perhaps  incredible,  that  fishing 
vessels  have  been  known  to  seek  for  it,  day  after  day,  in 
vain.  Yet  that  such  occurrences  have  taken  place  in 
"  olden  times  "  is  an  established  fact.  But  to  the  honor  of 
our  fishermen  it  may  be  said  that  such  blunders  in  plain 
navigation  have  been  exceedingly  rare,  and  as  much  owing 
to  a  free  circulation  of  the  fiery  liquid,  which  addles  men's 
brains,  as  to  sheer  ignorance. 

Many  years  ago  a  schooner  sailed  from  Gloucester  bound 
to  the  Grand  Bank,  in  charge  of  a  thick  dunderhead  of  a 
skipper,  and  a  crew  of  about  equal  mental  calibre.  In 
putting  up  the  stores  the  grog  was  not  forgotten.  Indeed 
it  was  regarded  as  a  necessary  on  shipboard ;  as  a  shrewd 
counsellor  in  difficulty  and  danger,  a  friendly  consoler 
when  borne  down  by  misfortune,  and  a  cheerful  companion 
in  prosperity,  which  could  not  be  too  often  embraced. 

The  schooner  met  with  head  winds  before  she  reached 
the  meridian  of  Cape  Sable,  and  was  beating  about  for 
several  days  between  Cape  Sable  and  St.  George's  Bank. 
At  length  the  wind  hauled  to  the  southward,  and  the 
skipper  put  the  schooner's  head  to  the  north-east,  and  let 
her  run,  making  a  fair  wind  of  it.  On  the  following  day, 
towards  night,  he  got  soundings  in  twenty  fathoms. 
"  Hallo ! "  shouted  the  skipper,  "  what  a  lucky  fellow  I  am ; 
I  have  hit  the  broadest  and  shoalest  part  of  the  Bank  the 
first  time  of  trying!  I  verily  believe  I  could  hit  a  nun 
buoy  if  it  was  anchored  in  any  part  of  the  ocean.  But 
never  mind,  boys,  let  us  freshen  the  nip :  we'll  stand  well 
on  to  the  Bank,  then  let  go  the  kellock,  and  haul  up 
the  cod!" 

He  stood  on  for  a  couple  of  hours,  when  greatly  to  his 
mortification  and  amazement,  he  found  his  schooner  floun- 
dering and  thumping  on  a  sand  bank.  She  soon  knocked 
a  hole  in  her  bottom,  and  the  crew  with  great  difficulty 

37 


434  JACK   IN    THE   FORECASTLE. 

made  their  escape  to  land,  which  was  not  far  off.  Even 
then  the  skipper  was  disposed  to  believe  he  had  found  an 
island  on  the  Bank  which  had  never  before  been  discov- 
ered ;  and  it  was  hard  work  to  convince  him  that  he  was 
cast  away  on  the  Isle  of  Sable ! 

Another  case  is  said  to  have  occurred  of  clumsy  naviga- 
tion on  the  part  of  one  of  our  Marblehead  skippers.  The 
tale  is  traditionary,  but  no  less  authentic  on  that  account. 

The  fishing  schooner  Codhook  was  ready  for  a  trip  to 
the  Grand  Bank  for  a  cargo  of  the  deposits,  when  the 
skipper,  a  faithful,  skilful,  hardy  old  fisherman,  as  is  the 
case  with  most  of  this  valuable  class  of  men,  was  taken 
sick,  and  compelled  reluctantly  to  relinquish  the  voyage. 
It  became  necessaiy  to  find  a  skipper,  and  as  it  was  a  busy 
season,  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  procure  the  right  kind 
of  a  man.  After  a  time,  however,  it  was  concluded  that 
nothing  better  could  be  done  than  to  appoint  old  Jonas 
Hardhead  skipper  for  this  single  trip. 

Jonas,  or  "Uncle  Jonas,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called, 
had  been  to  sea  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  but  for 
the  last  few  years  had  been  engaged  occasionally  in  the 
fishing  business ;  and  when  he  could  be  kept  sober  he  was 
a  valuable  fisherman,  for  few  could  endure  more  hardship, 
or  haul  up  the  cod  faster  than  Uncle  Jonas.  He  also 
boasted  of  his  skill  in  navigation,  and  according  to  his  own 
story  could  handle  a  quadrant  or  even  a  sextant  as  adroitly 
as  a  marlinspike.  It  was  finally  settled  that  he  should  act 
as  skipper  on  this  voyage,  provided  he  would  promise  to 
keep  sober.  Jonas  gave  the  pledge  with  alacrity,  although 
his  feelings  seemed  hurt  that  his  sobriety  was  doubted ; 
he  even  declared  that  he  was  never  otherwise  than  sober 
in  his  life  :  and  was  forthwith  inducted  into  office. 

In  order  to  aid  him  in  keeping  his  promise  to  the  own- 
ers, Uncle  Jonas  took  with  him  on  board  some  ten  or  a 
dozen  bottles  of  "old  Jamaica,"  a  beverage  which  he 
dearly  loved;  and  although  he  seldom  got  absolutely 


RETURN    OF    THE    WANDERER.  435 

drunk  when  on  shore,  it  was  rarely  the  case  that  he  went 
to  bed  sober.  He  had  no  doubt  of  his  qualifications  to 
perform  well  his  duty  as  skipper,  and  was  determined  to 
have  a  jovial  time  at  all  events. 

He  had  a  quadrant  and  a  Bowditch's  Navigator,  as  well 
as  a  chart  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  of  the  American 
coast,  but  all  this  machinery  was  of  little  use  to  Uncle 
Jonas.  Indeed  he  secretly  despised  book-learning,  regard- 
ing it  as  a  humbug,  and  relied  upon  his  experience  and 
judgment  in  navigating  his  vessel.  He  was  aware  that  by 
steering  a  course  east,  or  east  half  south,  and  running  in 
that  direction  for  several  days,  he  would  strike  the  broad- 
side of  the  Grand  Bank,  which  he  expected  to  know  by 
the  color  of  the  water,  the  soundings,  the  many  birds,  and 
the  fishing  vessels  at  anchor.  He  also  supposed  that  when 
he  returned  with  a  glorious  fare,  a  westerly  course  would 
fetch  some  part  of  the  coast,  when  he  should  certainly  fall 
in  with  vessels,  and  easily  ascertain  the  where-away  of 
Boston  Bay,  with  all  of  which  coast  he  was  familiar. 

The  schooner  Codhook  left  the  wharf  with  a  roaring 
north-wester,  and  in  order  to  secure  a  lucky  cruise  Uncle 
Jonas  treated  himself  and  his  companions,  a  jolly  set  of 
fellows  also,  with  a  stiff  glass  of  grog.  He  afterwards 
drank  to  a  fair  wind,  to  a  continuation  of  the  breeze,  and 
repeated  this  operation  so  often,  that  what  little  knowledge 
and  judgment  he  could  boast  of  when  he  left  the  wharf, 
insensibly  oozed  away ;  and  for  nearly  a  week  his  mental 
faculties  were  a  great  deal  below  par.  In  the  mean  time 
the  wind  blew  a  fresh  breeze  from  the  westward  without 
intermission,  and  the  old  schooner  rolled  and  wallowed 
along  with  nearly  all  sail  set,  at  a  tremendous  rate,  and 
actually  crossed  the  Bank  on  the  fifth  day  after  leaving 
port.  But  the  weather  was  foggy,  and  the  eyes  of  the 
skipper  were  dim.  No  change  was  observed  in  the  water, 
no  birds  or  fishing  vessels  were  seen. 

Onward  the  schooner  went,  with  all  sail  spread  to  the 


436  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

wind,  like  a  new  Flying  Dutchman,  until  the  seventh  day 
after  leaving  port,  when  the  wind  began  to  abate  a  little 
and  haul  to  the  southward.  The  horizon  was  now  clear, 
and  Uncle  Jonas  began  to  look  out  for  vessels,  and  ex- 
pressed a  decided  opinion  that  he  was  nearly  up  with  the 
Bank.  The  sun  went  down  and  no  fishing  vessels  were 
seen  under  sail  or  at  anchor.  He  was  confident  they 
would  be  visible  on  the  following  day,  and  in  order  that 
his  vision  might  be  clearer,  he  swallowed  a  strong  potation 
before  he  turned  in. 

On  the  next  morning  not  a  vessel  of  any  description 
was  in  sight,  and  the  skipper,  confident  that  the  Bank 
could  not  be  far  off,  concluded  to  sound.  The  deep-sea 
lead  was  thrown,  but  he  got  no  bottom  with  ninety  fath- 
oms of  line.  "  Wheugh ! "  exclaimed  Uncle  Jonas,  "  what 
has  become  of  the  Bank  ?  " 

The  wind  now  blew  merrily  from  the  south-west,  and 
merrily  sailed  the  schooner ;  Uncle  Jonas  keeping  a  sharp 
look-out  for  fishing  vessels,  and  sounding  every  six  hours. 
Ten  days  passed  away,  and  he  began  to  be  alarmed,  and 
expressed  fears  that  the  Bank  had  failed,  refused  pay- 
ments, sunk,  or  cleared  out !  He  continued,  however,  to 
consult  his  Jamaica  friend,  and  sought  its  advice  and 
assistance  in  his  perplexity.  It  is  singular  that  in  times 
of  difficulty  and  danger,  when  a  clear  head  is  particularly 
necessary,  men  who  have  charge  of  property,  and  the  lives 
of  their  fellow-men,  are  prone  to  consult  the  rum  bottle, 
which  always  produces  an  effect  precisely  the  reverse  of 
what  is  desired. 

At  length,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  the  passage,  Uncle 
Jonas,  whose  patience  was  nearly  exhausted,  saw  a  large 
number  of  gannets  and  gulls ;  the  water  was  remarkably 
chilly,  and  seemed  to  have  a  tinge  of  green.  "  Aha,"  said 
the  skipper,  "  I  have  got  you  at  last."  But  he  could  not 
see  any  fishing  vessels,  or  obtain  bottom  with  ninety 
fathoms  of  line. 


RETURN    OF    THE    WANDERER.  437 

On  the  following  morning,  however,  much  to  his  gratifi- 
cation, he  obtained  soundings  in  sixty  fathoms  of  water. 
u  There,"  exclaimed  the  skipper  triumphantly  to  his  men, 
u  you  more  than  insinuated  that  I  was  no  navigator,  but  I 
have  carried  the  ship  straight  to  the  Grand  Bank  in  fine 
style.  "We  will  stand  on  until  we  get  thirty  fathoms  of 
water,  and  then  go  to  work  like  men." 

His  companions  acknowledged  their  error,  asked  pardon 
for  doubting  his  infallibility,  and  promised  never  again  to 
question  his  ability  to  navigate  a  vessel  to  any  part  of 
the  globe. 

But,  much  to  the  surprise  and  disappointment  of  Uncle 
Jonas,  the  water  did  not  shoal,  but  rather  deepened  as  he 
kept  along  to  the  eastward.  He  again  became  bewil- 
dered, and  could  hardly  help  admitting  that  there  might 
be  some  mistake  in  the  matter,  as  he  never  found  such 
deep  water  on  the  Bank  before.  He  repeatedly  swept  the 
horizon  with  his  glass,  hoping  to  conjure  up  some  vessel, 
and  procure  definite  information  in  regard  to  his  wherea- 
bouts. In  the  afternoon  he  saw  a  ship  approaching  from 
the  eastward,  and  his  heart  was  gladdened  at  the  sight. 
He  hauled  the  schooner  on  a  wind,  hoisted  his  colors,  and 
prepared  to  speak  the  ship.  She  proved  to  be  the  packet 
ship  James  Monroe,  Captain  Wilkinson,  bound  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York.  Uncle  Jonas  eagerly  inquired  of  the 
captain  of  the  ship  if  he  had  fallen  in  with  any  fishing 
vessels  on  his  passage. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  was  the  reply ;  "  I  saw  a  number  of  them  in 
the  Irish  Channel." 

"  Irish  Channel ! "  echoed  the  skipper,  with  a  howl 
of  agony.  "  Why,  where  are  we,  my  good  fellow ;  do  tell 
us  where  we  are." 

"  We  are  about  thirty-five  miles  south-south-east  of  Cape 
Clear,  and  on  the  Nymph  Bank ! " 

Uncle  Jonas  dashed  his  trumpet  to  the  deck,  and  sprang 
perpendicularly  four  feet  by  actual  measurement  —  so  true, 

37* 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

it  is,  that  astonishment  prompts  a  man  instinctively  to  ex- 
traordinary gymnastic  exercises ! 

The  skipper  was  in  an  awkward  dilemma.  He  had  gone 
across  the  Atlantic,  with  a  fair  and  fresh  breeze,  safely  and 
expeditiously  enough;  but  he  cherished  strong  doubts 
whether  his  skill  in  navigation  Avould  suffice  to  carry  him 
back.  He  explained  the  case  candidly  to  Captain  Wilkin- 
son, who,  after  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  expense  of  Uncle  Jo- 
nas, consented  to  furnish  him  with  a  navigator.  He 
accordingly  put  a  young  man  on  board  the  schooner  who 
was  a  proficient  in  the  art  of  navigation  —  an  art  with 
which  the  commander  of  a  vessel  on  the  ocean  should  be 
somewhat  familiar. 

As  a  preliminary  step,  the  new  captain  caused  the  re- 
mainder of  the  "  Jamaica  "  to  be  thrown  overboard,  and 
every  thing  else  which  was  akin  to  it.  Uncle  Jonas 
begged  hard  to  retain  it  as  a  solace  under  trouble  ;  but  he 
was  overruled  by  the  new  navigator,  and  also  the  crew,  all 
of  whom  felt  mortified  at  the  result  of  the  trip  thus  far, 
and  overboard  it  went.  The  head  of  the  schooner  was 
got  round  to  the  westward,  her  sails  were  trimmed  to  the 
breeze,  and  the  schooner  jogged  along  quietly  in  the  wake 
of  the  ship  until  the  latter  was  out  of  sight. 

In  due  time,  that  is,  in  about  thirty-five  days  after  hav- 
ing spoken  the  ship  James  Monroe,  for  the  the  wind  was 
westerly  nearly  the  whole  time,  the  schooner  Codhook 
reached  the  Grand  Bank.  Neither  the  navigator  nor  the 
crew  would  consent  to  remain  there  any  great  length  of 
time  —  indeed,  for  various  reasons,  all  were  anxious  to 
return  to  Marblehead.  In  about  a  fortnight  afterwards 
they  reached  the  port  from  which  they  started,  after  an 
absence  of  about  two  months,  having  had  a  glorious  cruise, 
but  bringing  home  a  slender  fare. 

Unc*le  Jonas  was  laughed  at  until  the  day  of  his  death ; 
but  he  always  warded  off  the  ridicule  by  declaring  that  no 
fishing  schooner  had  ever  before  reached  Cape  Clear  from 
Massachusetts  Bay  in  fourteen  days  from  leaving  port ! 


KETt'IIX    OK    THE    WANDERER.  439 

We  crossed  the  Grand  Bank  in  the  brig  Joseph,  and 
proceeded  on  our  way  towards  Cape  Cod.  But  meeting 
with  south-west  winds  after  passing  the  Isle  of  Sable,  we 
were  forced  to  the  northward  on  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia. 
Here  we  were  enveloped  in  fogs  of  a  density  which  seemed 
appalling.  Unable  to  obtain  a  meridian  observation  of  the 
sun,  and  swept  about  by  unknown  currents,  we  were 
uncertain  of  our  latitude,  and  more  than  once  came  near 
wrecking  the  brig  on  that  dangerous  iron-bound  shore. 

After  beating  to  windward  a  few  days,  the  wind  hauled 
to  the  southward  and  eastward,  the  fog  towards  noon,  to  a 
very  considerable  extent,  dispersed,  and  Captain  Allen 
obtained  a  meridian  altitude  of  the  sun,  the  horizon  being, 
as  he  erroneously  thought,  well  defined.  Having  thus  de- 
termined the  latitude  to  his  satisfaction,  he  ordered  the 
brig  to  be  steered  about  west-south-west,  which,  he  sup- 
posed, would  carry  us  round  Cape  Sable,  clear  of  all 
danger. 

This  cape  is  well  known  as  the  southern  extremity  of 
Nova  Scotia,  a  dangerous  point,  on  which,  notwithstanding 
the  lighthouse  on  its  extremity,  many  vessels  have  been 
wrecked,  and  a  countless  number  of  lives  have  been  lost. 
The  fog  again  gathered  around  the  brig  soon  after  the  sun 
had  passed  the  meridian,  and  became  so  dense  that  for 
several  hours  it  was  impossible  to  perceive  any  object, 
even  at  the  distance  of  twenty  yards  from  the  vessel. 
But  Captain  Allen,  confident  in  the  correctness  of  his  lati- 
tude by  observation,  manifested  no  anxiety,  and  kept  the 
brig  on  her  course,  without  ordering  any  particular  look- 
out, which,  indeed,  would  hardly  have  been  of  use,  or 
using  the  lead. 

There  was  a  steady  breeze,  and  the  brig  was  going 
through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven  knots,  when, 
just  as  the  shades  of  evening  began  to  fall,  the  thick  cur- 
tain, which  had  hitherto  surrounded  us  on  every  side,  was 
suddenly  lifted.  The  fog  vanished  as  if  at  the  will  of  an 


440  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

enchanter ;  and,  to  the  consternation  of  Captain  Allen  and 
every  person  on  board,  we  discovered  craggy  ledges  of 
rock  rising  out  of  the  water  directly  ahead  and  on  either 
side,  and  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off! 

We  were  running  directly  on  Cape  Sable.  It  was  a 
narrow  escape.  The  brig  was  immediately  put  round  on 
the  other  tack,  and  we  clawed  off  from  the  land  with  all 
possible  speed,  shuddering  at  the  idea  of  the  dangers 
which  in  the  fog-darkness  had  surrounded  us,  and  truly 
grateful  for  our  preservation. 

The  fogs  on  our  coast  are  a  great  impediment  in  the  way 
of  navigation.  They  screen  from  view  the  lighthouses  in 
the  night,  and  the  headlands  in  the  daytime,  and  are 
often  the  cause  of  perplexity  and  dismay  even  to  the  most 
skilful  navigator,  and  have  led  to  the  destruction  of  thou- 
sands of  vessels.  That  philosopher,  who,  stimulated  by 
the  spirit  which  led  Professor  Espy  to  attempt  to  control 
the  storms,  change  the  density  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
produce  rain  in  times  of  drought,  should  succeed  in  placing 
in  the  hands  of  the  navigator  the  means  of  dispelling  fogs 
at  will  when  navigating  a  dangerous  coast,  would  indeed 
be  a  benefactor  to  sailors,  and  deserve  the  richest  tribute 
of  gratitude. 

As  we  approached  the  shores  of  Massachusetts,  having 
been  six  weeks  at  sea,  every  person  on  board  was  anxious 
to  obtain  a  sight  of  land  once  more,  notwithstanding  our  ves- 
sel was  stanch  and  strong  and  our  provisions  and  water 
abundant.  There  is  always  a  pleasant  excitement  among  a 
ship's  company  at  the  prospect  of  soon  terminating  a  voyage. 
We  drew  towards  Cape  Cod,  and  one  night  when  the  sound- 
ings indicated  that  we  were  not  far  from  the  shore,  a  good 
look-out  was  kept  from  the  topsail  yard  for  the  light :  but  no 
light  was  visible  through  the  night.  Soon  after  daybreak, 
the  lighthouse,  right  ahead,  was  plainly  seen  from  the  deck 
with  the  naked  eye,  being  not  more  than  five  or  six  miles 
off  Whether  the  light  had  been  allowed  to  expire 


RETURN    OP    THE    WANDERER.  411 

through  inattention  on  the  part  of  an  unfaithful  keeper, 
or  a  thick  haze  had  collected  over  the  land  and  veiled  it 
from  the  view  of  vessels  in  the  offing,  as  was  suggested  by 
some  good-natured  individuals,  was  never  known. 

All  was  now  bustle  and  excitement.  The  land  was  in 
sight ;  the  "  highlands  of  Cape  Cod  "  were  plainly  visible : 
the  wind  was  north-east,  and  every  thing  indicated  that 
we  should  be  safely  anchored  in  Boston  harbor,  or  hauled 
snugly  in,  alongside  the  wharf,  before  another  night. 

It  is  pleasant  to  witness  the  exuberance  of  spirits  on 
such  an  occasion.  Orders  were  promptly  obeyed ;  every 
man  moved  as  if  he  had  been  suddenly  endued  with  a 
double  portion  of  strength  and  activity ;  smiles  lighted  up 
every  countenance ;  the  joke  and  the  laugh  went  round, 
and  even  Cato,  the  philosophic  African,  as  he  stood  near 
his  camboose  and  gazed  earnestly  on  the  barren  sands, 
clapped  his  hands  with  glee,  and,  shortening  his  features 
by  indulging  in  a  broad  grin,  exhibited  a  store  of  ivory 
which  would  have  excited  the  admiration  of  an  elephant. 
Even  the  old  brig  seemed  to  participate  in  the  joyousness 
that  pervaded  the  ship's  company,  and  glided  along 
smoothly  and  rapidly,  gracefully  and  merrily,  as  if  con- 
scious that  a  quiet  haven  and  a  snug  resting  place  were 
at  hand. 

Passing  Race  Point  we  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  "  south 
shore "  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  the  land  hallowed  by  the 
trials  and  sufferings  of  the  Pilgrims.  We  passed  near 
Cohasset  Rocks,  dangers,  which,  it  is  well  known,  have 
caused  the  destruction  of  many  a  noble  ship ;  and  in  full 
view  of  Boston  lighthouse  we  received  a  pilot  on  board. 

Pilots  should  be  a  happy  as  well  as  a  useful  class  of 
men.  When  a  ship  arrives  at  the  entrance  of  a  harbor, 
after  a  long  passage,  the  sight  of  a  pilot  carries  joy  to  every 
heart.  He  appears  truly  in  the  guise  of  "  a  guide,  philos- 
opher, and  friend,"  is  warmly  welcomed,  and  treated  with 
kindness  and  hospitality.  The  news  is  eagerly  demanded, 


442  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

friends  are  inquired  for,  and  the  words  which  fall  from  his 
lips  are  attentively  listened  to,  carefully  noted,  and  prized 
as  highly  as  the  sayings  of  the  Delphic  oracles. 

The  dome  of  the  State  House  was  soon  distinctly  seen; 
a  conspicuous  object,  which  seems  to  rest  lightly  upon  the 
countless  edifices,  a  mural  crown  upon  a  kingly  city.  We 
thridded  the  Narrows,  and  off  Long  Island  Head  Captain 
Allen  suddenly  recollected  he  had  a  prisoner  under  his 
charge.  Petersen  had  been  released  from  durance  in  the 
morning  as  usual,  and  light-hearted  and  joyous,  had  toiled 
with  the  crew,  apparently  sympathizing  in  their  feelings. 
Speaking  English  fluently,  and  well  acquainted  with  the 
harbor,  for  he  had  sailed  a  voyage  out  of  Boston,  it  would 
have  been  easy  for  him  to  slip  quietly  over  the  bow  and 
swim  to  the  shore,  where,  it  is  possible,  he  might  have 
escaped  the  fearful  punishment  that  awaited  him  for  his 
crimes.  But  he  made  no  effort  to  escape,  and  was  now 
conducted  below  by  the  mate,  handcuffed,  and  confined  to 
his  quarters  in  the  half-deck. 

We  had  no  sooner  anchored  off  Long  Wharf  than  Cap- 
tain Allen  went  ashore,  and  in  about  an  hour  the  United 
States  marshal,  accompanied  by  a  posse  with  handcuffs 
and  shackles,  came  on  board  and  demanded  the  prisoner. 
Petersen  was  brought  on  deck  and  delivered  into  his 
hands.  But  his  countenance  had  undergone  an  appalling 
change  within  a  few  hours.  He  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
realized  the  horrors  of  his  situation.  His  features  were 
pale,  and  his  eye  seemed  glazed  with  fear  as  he  looked 
upon  the  officers  of  justice,  and,  trembling  in  every  limb, 
was  assisted  into  the  boat.  A  sense  of  his  guilt,  and  the 
terrible  consequences,  now  seemed  to  weigh  upon  his 
spirits.  The  penalty  exacted  by  the  laws  for  the  crimes 
of  piracy  and  murder  stared  him  in  the  face. 

We  arrived  in  Boston  on  the  24th  of  October,  1817,  having 
been  fifty-four  days  on  our  passage  from  Gottenburg.  I  had 
not  accumulated  treasures  during  my  wanderings,  but  I  had 


RETURN  OF  THE  WANDERER.  453 

improved  my  constitution,  acquired  a  habit  of  resignation 
and  cheerfulness  which  bade  defiance  to  the  freaks  of  for- 
tune, gained  some  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  rejoiced  in 
robust  health,  one  of  the  greatest  of  earthly  blessings,  and 
which  as  often  cheers  and  enlightens  the  condition  of  the 
poor  man,  as  his  more  fortunate  fellow-mortal  rolling  in 
riches. 

When  paid  off,  I  found  myself  in  possession  of  means 
to  rig  myself  out  in  decent  apparel,  and  provide  myself 
with  other  exterior  appurtenances  of  a  gentleman ;  and 
also  to  defray  my  expenses  on  a  visit  to  my  relations  in 
New  Hampshire,  from  whom  I  had  so  long  been  separated, 
and  whom  I  longed  to  convince  by  tangible  proofs  that  I 
was  still  in  the  land  of  the  living.  And  thus  I  returned 
from  my  wanderings  after  an  absence  of  nearly  seven 
years,  during  which  I  had  witnessed  many  eventful  scenes, 
and  had  studied  the  page  of  human  nature  in  various 
climes. 

Notwithstanding  my  occasional  hard  fortune  at  sea,  a 
seafaring  life  still  possessed  many  powerful  attractions.  I 
was  bound  to  it  by  a  charm  which  I  did  not  attempt  to 
break.  Besides,  I  had  put  my  hand  to  the  plough  and  I 
would  not  look  back.  Although  I  had  passed  many  happy 
hours  in  the  forecastle,  free  from  care  and  responsibility, 
and  associating  with  men  whose  minds,  it  may  be,  were 
uncultivated,  but  whose  heads  were  well  furnished  and 
whose  hearts  were  in  the  right  place,  yet  visions  of  an 
important  station  on  "the  quarter-deck,"  at  no  distant 
period,  were  often  conjured  up  by  my  imagination ;  and  I 
resolved  that  many  days  should  not  pass  before  I  would 
again  brave  the  perils,  share  the  strange  excitement,  and 
court  the  joys  which  accompany  life  on  the  sea. 


4-14  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

THE      SEA,      AND      SAILORS. 

WHEN  we  embark  on  the  ocean,  we  are  astonished  at 
its  immensity,  bounded  only  by  the  horizon,  with  not  a 
speck  of  land,  a  solitary  rock,  or  landmark  of  any  descrip- 
tion, to  guide  the  adventurers  cast  adrift  on  its  broad  sur- 
face, with  "  water,  water,  every  where ; "  and  when  we  see 
its  face  agitated  by  storms,  and  listen  to  the  thunder  of  its 
billows,  and  reflect  on  its  uncertain  and  mysterious  char- 
acter, and  on  the  dangers  with  which  it  has  been  asso- 
ciated in  every  age,  we  wonder  at  the  courage  and  enter- 
prise of  those  early  navigators,  strangers  to  science,  who 
dared  embark  on  the  waste  of  waters  in  vessels  of  the 
frailest  construction,  to  explore  the  expanse  of  ocean,  and 
make  discovery  of 

"  new  lands, 
Rivers  and  mountains  on  the  spotted  globe." 

Even  familiarity  with  the  sea,  which  has  become  the  great 
highway  of  nations,  does  not  diminish  its  sublimity,  its 
wild  beauties,  its  grandeur,  and  the  terrible  power  of  its 
wrath. 

The  immensity  of  the  sea,  notwithstanding  its  surface 
has  been  traversed  and  measured  by  thousands  of  voyagers 
for  centuries,  fills  the  contemplative  mind  with  awe,  as  a 
wonderful  creation  of  Almighty  Power.  One  can  hardly 
realize  its  vast  extent  from  figures  and  calculations,  with- 
out sailing  over  its  surface  and  witnessing  its  immensity, 
as  day  after  day  passes  away,  the  cry  being  still  "  onward, 
onward ! "  and  the  view  bounded  on  every  side  by  the 
distant  horizon. 

On  gazing  down  into  its  depths,  when  not  a  breath  of 
wind  sweeps  over  its  surface,  when  its  face  is  like  a  pol- 


THE    SEA,    AXD    SAILORS.  445 

ished  mirror,  we  find  the  water  almost  as  transparent  as 
the  air  we  breathe,  yet  the  keenest  optics  can  penetrate 
but  a  few  fathoms  below  the  surface.  The  movements, 
the  operations  instinct  with  life,  that  are  constantly  taking 
place  in  that  body  of  water,  and  the  mighty  changes 
which  are  going  on  in  the  vast  tract  of  earth  on  which  it 
reposes,  are  invisible  to  mortal  eye. 

Within  a  few  years,  the  progress  of  scientific  knowledge 
has  enabled  man  to  measure  the  depths  of  the  ocean, 
which  were  formerly  believed  to  be  as  unfathomable  as 
boundless  in  extent.  From  soundings  which  have  been 
taken,  it  is  ascertained  that  the  configuration  of  the  earth 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  is  similar  to  that  portion  which 
rises  above  the  surface,  undulating,  and  interspersed  with 
hills,  and  valleys,  and  plains,  and  mountain  ranges,  and 
abrupt  precipices.  The  greatest  depth  of  water  at  which 
soundings  have  been  obtained,  being  between  five  and  six 
miles,  is  deeper  than  the  altitude  of  the  highest  mountain 
of  which  we  have  knowledge ;  and  there  may  be  cavities 
of  far  greater  depth.  Geological  researches  prove  that  at 
an  early  period  of  the  history  of  the  earth  its  surface  was 
vastly  more  irregular  than  at  the  present  time.  Not  only 
the  mountains  on  the  earth  were  higher,  but  the  deepest 
valleys  of  ocean  were  far  deeper.  Disintegrations  caused 
by  exposure  to  water  or  the  atmosphere,  and  abrasions 
from  causes  with  which  we  may  not  be  familiar,  have 
lowered  the  mountain  tops,  and  created  deposits  which 
raise  the  plains  and  fill  the  deepest  chasms.  And  here 
geologists  find  the  origin  of  the  earliest  formation  of  strat- 
ified rocks. 

Men  have  striven  in  vain  to  develop  the  secrets  which 
lie  hidden  in  the  sea.  Imagination  has  been  at  work  for 
ages,  and  in  some  cases  has  pictured  the  bottom  of  ocean 
as  a  sort  of  marine  paradise,  a  nautical  Eden,  with  charm- 
ing grottoes,  spacious  gardens,  coral  forests,  ridges  of 
golden  sands,  and  heaps  of  precious  gems ;  and  abounding 

38 


440  JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

in  inhabitants  with  fairy  forms,  angelic  features,  and  other 
attributes  corresponding  with  the  favored  region  in  which 
they  flourish,  who  sometimes  rise  to  the  surface  of  ocean, 
and  seated  on  the  craggy  rocks,  sing  sweet  ballads  to 
charm  away  the  life  of  the  unwary  mariner.  Leyden,  a 
Scottish  poet,  imagines  one  of  these  charming  denizens  of 
the  deep  to  describe,  in  the  following  poetic  language,  the 
attractions  of  this  submarine  world :  — 

"  How  sweet,  when  billows  heave  their  head, 

And  shake  their  arrowy  crests  on  high, 
Serene,  in  Ocean's  sapphire  bed, 
Beneath  the  trembling  surge  to  lie !  — 

"  To  trace  with  tranquil  step  the  deep, 
Where  pearly  drops  of  frozen  dew, 
In  concave  shells,  unconscious  sleep, 
Or  shine  with  lustre,  silvery  blue. 

"  Then  shall  the  summer's  sun  from  far 
Pour  through  the  waves  a  softer  ray, 
While  diamonds,  in  a  bower  of  spar, 
At  eve  shall  shed  a  brighter  day." 

Others,  however,  with  fancies  equally  vigorous,  but  less 
ornate  or  refined,  give  us  different  sketches  of  the  doings 
in  Neptune's  dominions.  They  picture  the  bottom  of 
ocean  as  an  uninviting  spot,  replete  with  objects  calculated 
to  chill  the  blood  and  sadden  the  heart  of  man ;  inhabited 
by  beings  of  a  character  rather  repulsive  than  prepossess- 
ing, as  salt-water  satyrs,  krakens,  polypuses,  and  marine 
monsters  of  frightful  aspects  and  hideous  habits ;  glimpses 
of  which  are  occasionally  seen  by  favored  inhabitants  of 
these  upper  regions,  sometimes  in  the  shape  of  monstrous 
sea-serpents,  with  flowing  manes  and  goggle  eyes,  lash- 
ing with  their  tails  the  astonished  waters  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay. 

In  "Clarence's  Dream"  we  find  Shakspeare's  idea  of 
the  sights  exhibited  far  down  beneath  the  ocean  waves :  — 


THE    SEA,    AND    SAILORS.  447 

•'  Methought  I  saw  a  thousand  fearful  wrecks  : 
A  thousand  men  that  fishes  gnawed  upon  ; 
Wedges  of  gold,  great  anchors,  heaps  of  pearl ; 
Inestimable  stones,  unvalued  jewels  ; 
All  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 
Some  lay  in  dead  men's  skulls  !  " 

Although  man  can  fathom  the  depths  of  the  sea,  and 
may  by  scientific  experiments,  conducted  with  immense 
labor  and  expense,  succeed  in  mapping  out  the  great  ocean 
basins,  and  obtaining  an  accurate  idea  of  the  configuration 
of  that  part  of  the  earth  which  lies  beneath  the  waters, 
yet  the  true  character  of  the  scenery,  vegetation,  and 
inhabitants  of  that  region  must  remain  unknown  until 
some  new  philosophical  and  mechanical  principles  shall  be 
discovered  to  pave  the  way  to  a  system  of  submarine  nav- 
igation, and  the  enterprise  confided  to  some  daring  Yan- 
kee, with  the  promise  of  an  exclusive  patent  right  to  its 
use  for  a  century  to  come. 

In  the  mean  time  we  may  rest  assured  that  no  valuable 
gems  or  lumps  of  gold  have  yet  been  brought  up  by  the 
plummet.  Indeed,  so  far  as  is  shown  by  the  soundings,  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean  is  covered  with  microscopic  shells,  so 
wonderfully  minute  that  thousands  may  be  counted  on 
the  surface  of  a  single  square  inch.  We  know  also  that 
the  bed  of  ocean,  for  at  least  four  hundred  years,  has 
served  as  a  repository,  a  burial-place,  not  only  for  earth's 
choicest  productions  and  myriads  of  human  beings,  gone 
to  the  bottom  in  sunken  ships,  but  for  disappointed  hopes, 
false  calculations,  and  sanguine  schemes  for  the  realization 
of  fortune  and  honor. 

The  immensity,  the  majesty,  and  the  wonders  of  the 
sea  are  manifest,  and  acknowledged  by  all.  But  what 
can  surpass  its  beauty  when  in  repose  !  What  scene  can 
be  more  sublimely  beautiful  than  the  sea  when  gazed  upon 
from  the  mast-head  of  a  ship,  gliding  along  as  if  impelled 
by  the  breath  of  a  fairy !  Every  thing  in  the  vicinity,  as 
well  as  the  vast  expanse  stretching  out  on  every  side,  is 


448  JACK   IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

calculated  to  inspire  confidence,  invite  security,  and  give 
complete  reliance  on  its  gentle  and  pacific  character. 
While  enjoying  the  delightful  scene,  the  passions  are 
hushed.  The  sea  seems  the  blest  abode  of  tranquillity. 
We  are  alive  only  to  its  beauty,  its  grace,  its  magnitude, 
its  power  to  interest  and  charm,  to  benefit  mankind  and 
beautify  the  world. 

And  how  calmly  beautiful  is  the  close  of  day !  What 
nameless  charms  cluster  around  a  sunset  at  sea!  The 
heavens  and  light  clouds  are  not  clad  in  purple  and  gold ; 
but  the  western  sky  is  attractive  and  lovely  in  the  rich- 
ness of  its  sober  brilliancy.  The  sun,  with  undivided 
glory,  goes  down  in  the  west,  sinking  gently  and  gradually 
beneath  the  well-defined  horizon,  like  the  spirit  of  a  good 
man  in  the  evening  of  life,  departing  for  a  better  world. 

Night  drops  her  curtain  only  to  change  the  scene  and 
invest  it  with  holier  attributes.  The  moon  sheds  her  light 
on  the  surface  of  the  ocean.  No  sounds  break  the  still- 
ness of  the  hour  as  the  ship,  urged  by  the  favored  breeze, 
quietly,  yet  perseveringly,  pursues  her  course,  save  the 
murmuring  ripple  of  the  waves,  the  measured  tread  of  the 
officer  of  the  watch  as  he  walks  the  deck,  the  low,  half- 
stifled  creaking  of  a  block  as  if  impatient  of  inactivity, 
the  occasional  flap  of  a  sail  awakened  out  of  its  sleep,  and 
the  stroke  of  the  bell  every  half  hour  to  mark  the  lapse 
of  time,  sending  its  musical,  ringing  notes  far  over  the 
water.  What  a  time  is  this  for  study,  for  contemplation, 
for  enjoyment !  The  poet  Gilfillan,  in  describing  a  lovely 
night  at  sea,  says,  with  true  poetic  warmth  and  energy,  — 

"  Night  closed  around  the  ship ;  no  sound 

Save  of  the  splashing  sea 
Was  heard.    The  waters  all  around 

Murmured  so  pleasantly, 
Tou  would  have  thought  the  mermaids  sung 

Down  in  their  coral  caves, 
So  softly  and  so  sweetly  rang 

The  music  of  the  waves !  " 


THE    SEA,    AND    SAILORS.  449 

Were  such  scenes  always  met  with  at  sea,  was  its  sur- 
face always  smooth,  the  winds  favorable  and  the  sky  un- 
clouded, little  resolution  or  physical  endurance  would  be 
required  to  navigate  the  ocean;  the  energies  which  call 
THE  SAILOR  into  life  would  no  longer  be  necessary;  the 
sea  would  be  covered  with  pleasure  yachts  of  the  most 
fanciful  description,  manned  by  exquisites  in  snow-white 
gloves,  propelled  with  silken  sails,  and  decked  with  stream- 
ers, perhaps  with  flowers,  while  their  broad  decks  would 
be  thronged  with  a  gay  and  happy  bevy,  of  both  sexes  and 
every  age,  bent  on  pleasure  and  eager  to  enjoy  the  beauties 
of  the  sea. 

But  this  attractive  spectacle  is  sometimes  changed  with 
magical  rapidity !  The  scene  shifts ;  and  instead  of  gentle 
zephyrs  and  smooth  seas,  the  elements  pour  forth  all  their 
pent-up  wrath  on  the  devoted  ship,  and  events  are  con- 
jured into  being  which  rouse  into  action  the  noblest  facul- 
ties of  man.  If  the  records  of  the  sea  were  truly  kept, 
they  would  tell  of  hurricanes,  shipwrecks,  sufferings,  and  per- 
ils too  numerous  and  appalling  to  be  imagined,  to  struggle 
successfully  against  which  demands  those  manifestations 
of  courage  and  energy,  that,  when  witnessed  on  the 
land,  elicit  the  admiration  of  mankind.  These  chronicles, 
if  faithfully  kept,  would  tell  of  desperate  encounters,  of 
piracies  where  whole  crews  were  massacred,  of  dark  deeds 
of  cruelty  and  oppression,  of  pestilence  on  shipboard,  with- 
out medical  aid  and  with  no  Florence  Nightingale  to 
soothe  the  pains  and  whisper  comfort  and  peace  to  the 
dying ! 

And  what  may  be  said  of  the  mariners,  the  life-long 
actors  on  this  strange,  eventful  theatre,  —  the  sea,  —  who 
perform  their  unwritten  and  unrecorded  parts,  face  danger 
and  death  in  every  shape,  and  are  heard  and  seen  no  more  ? 
Is  it  remarkable  that,  estranged  from  the  enjoyments  which 
cluster  around  the  most  humble  fireside,  and  familiar  with 
scenes  differing  so  widely  from  those  met  with  on  the  land, 

38* 


JACK    IN    THE    FORECASTLE. 

they  should  acquire  habits  peculiar  to  themselves  and  form 
a  character  of  their  own  ? 

The  failings  of  this  isolated  class  of  men  are  well  known ; 
a  catalogue  of  their  imperfections  is  scattered  abroad  by 
every  wind  that  blows;  they  are  acknowledged,  even 
by  themselves,  and  enlarged  upon  and  exaggerated  by 
those  who  know  them  not.  True  are  the  words  of  the 
poet,  — 

"  Men's  evil  manners  live  in  brass ; 
Their  virtues  we  write  in  water." 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  a  seafaring  life,  and  have 
had  opportunities  for  analyzing  the  character  of  the  sailor, 
know  that  it  possesses  many  brilliant  spots  as  well  as 
blemishes,  and  that  it  would  be  cruel  and  unjust  on  the 
part  of  those  more  favored  with  the  smiles  of  fortune,  to 
steel  their  hearts  against  sympathy  for  his  sufferings,  or 
respect  for  his  intrinsic  worth. 

The  sailor  is  said  to  be  rough  and  unpolished,  as  well  as 
addicted  to  vices.  It  is  true  he  is  seldom  a  proficient  in 
classical  studies,  or  versed  in  the  logic  of  the  schools. 
But  he  is  conversant  with  men  and  manners  in  various 
parts  of  the  globe,  and  his  habits  of  life,  and  opportunities 
for  observation,  supply  him  with  a  fund  of  worldly  wisdom 
and  practical  knowledge,  which  qualify  him  to  render  good 
service  when  strong  hands  and  bold  hearts  are  in  demand 
on  the  land  as  well  as  on  the  sea.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered, also,  that  the  sailor  has  few  opportunities  of  receiv- 
ing instruction  in  polite  literature,  of  learning  lessons  of 
moral  culture,  and  of  sharing  the  pleasures  and  refine- 
ments of  domestic  life.  The  many  temptations  to  which 
he  is  exposed  should  also  be  remembered,  and  it  will  be 
found  that,  with  his  generous  heart  and  noble  spirit,  he  is 
far  more  worthy  of  confidence  and  respect  than  the  thou- 
sands we  meet  with  in  society,  who,  in  spite  of  words  of 
warning  and  the  example  of  good  men,  with  every  induce- 
ment to  pursue  the  path  of  rectitude,  voluntarily  embrace 


THE    SEA,    AND    SAILORS.  451 

a  life  of  dissipation,  consume  their  substance  in  riotous  liv- 
ing, and  become  slaves  to  habits  of  a  degrading  character. 
The  same  records  that  tell  of  stormy  passions,  profligate 
habits,  thrilling  disasters,  and  violent  deaths  on  the  sea, 
also  chronicle  the  manifold  deeds  of  philanthropy,  heroism, 
self-devotion,  and  patriotism  of  those 

"  Whose  march  is  on  the  mountain  ware, 
Whose  home  is  on  the  deep !  " 

—  of  those  who,  however  rough  and  unpolished,  are  ever 
ready  to  lend  a  protecting  hand  to  the  weak,  to  spend 
their  last  dollar  in  encouraging  the  unfortunate  or  relieving 
distress,  and  to  risk  their  lives  in  defence  of  the  honor  of 
their  country,  and  the  flag  which  waves  over  their  heads. 

When  we  look  at  the  hardships,  sufferings,  and  perils  of 
the  sailor,  with  his  few  enjoyments  and  recreations,  and 
consider  the  services  he  renders  society,  —  that  by  his 
courage  and  energy  we  enjoy  the  countless  advantages  of 
commerce,  and  that  through  his  means  are  spread  abroad 
the  blessings  of  civilization  and  Christianity,  while  for 
him  "  no  Sabbath  bell  awakes  the  Sabbath  morn,"  —  we 
ought  to  cherish  a  sense  of  gratitude  and  indulgence  for 
that  class  of  men  "  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  and 
do  business  on  the  great  waters ; "  to  that  class  of  men  to 
whom  we  intrust,  with  confidence,  not  only  our  golden 
treasures,  but  our  wives  and  our  children,  all  which  are 
most  dear  to  us. 

So  far  from  despising  the  character  and  calling  of  the 
sailor,  and  regarding  him  with  an  eye  of  distrust,  let  us 
throw  a  veil  over  his  faults,  appreciate  his  virtues,  be 
ready  at  all  times  to  give  him  words  of  good  cheer,  and 
encourage  him  to  keep  within  his  bosom  a  clear  con- 
science and  an  honest  heart.  Let  us  not  grudge  our 
influence  or  mite  in  favor  of  measures  to  elevate  his  char- 
acter and  promote  his  comfort  while  sailing  over  the  tem- 
pestuous sea  of  life ;  or  in  preparing  for  his  reception, 


452  JACK   IN   THE    FORECASTLE. 

towards  the  close  of  the  voyage,  when  broken  down  with 
toil  and  suffering,  a  quiet  haven,  a  SNUG  HARBOR,  where, 
safely  moored,  secure  from  storms  and  troubles,  he  can 
calmly  await  the  inevitable  summons  aloft. 


MY  task  is  finished.  I  have  given,  in  the  foregoing 
pages,  a  brief,  but  strictly  truthful,  summary  of  my  adven- 
tures during  a  few  years  of  my  early  life.  It  would  have 
been  comparatively  easy  to  concoct  a  series  of  incidents 
far  more  wild,  romantic,  and  improbable,  and,  therefore, 
more  interesting,  than  any  thing  contained  in  this  simple 
nai-rative.  But  I  have  preferred  to  give  a  faithful  tran- 
script of  events  which  actually  occurred. 

If  the  tale  of  my  trials,  temptations,  resources,  and  en- 
joyments will  tend  to  brighten  a  passing  hour  of  the  indul- 
gent reader ;  throw  light  on  the  character,  habits  of  life, 
recreations,  and  perils  of  the  common  sailor ;  guard  an  un- 
suspecting young  man  against  temptations  to  vice,  and 
encourage  him  to  exert  all  his  energies,  and  boldly  press 
forward  in  the  channel  which  leads  to  usefulness  and  honor; 
my  labors  will  not  have  been  in  vain,  and  I  shall  never  re- 
gret having  attempted  to  lift  a  corner  of  the  curtain,  which 
has  for  centuries  screened  from  public  view,  JACK  IN  THE 
FORECASTLE. 


THE   END. 


•  '^!;;:i'v^>>^j^:>:'?yvferrrt^;:jV: 

-'  >•*>  >'V)"i>J))  >   ''>   > ';  V< ';  V  i  VvVv'l 

m§BtS 


